PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Thursday sought reports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and other officials regarding proposed construction of crematoriums for members of Sikh and Hindu communities in Peshawar and other cities.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad directed the respondents including the KP chief secretary, secretary of auqaf department and other officials to submit their replies within three weeks’ time to a petition seeking directives of the court for the government for early construction of crematoriums and provision of a vehicle for transporting the bodies of Sikhs and Hindus in the province for cremation.

The petitioner, Babajee Gorpal Singh, a representative of Peshawar’s Sikh community, said the province had no crematorium for Sikhs and Hindus especially in the provincial capital Peshawar.

The petition was filed in 2018 and at that time the high court had issued several directives to the government for establishment of crematoriums.

While in different provincial budgets amount had been allocated for the said purpose in the annual development program (ADP), but the issue remained unresolved as the said amount was reportedly not enough for purchasing land in Peshawar and other cities.

The bench inquired from an additional advocate general about report from the provincial government, which it had sought earlier. The AAG stated that he hadn’t received the same from the government.

The petitioner’s counsel stated that the high court had issued clear directives to the government for expediting work on construction of crematoriums, but so far land couldn’t be acquired for that purpose.

The petitioner has claimed that the province had around 60,000 Sikhs and around 15,000 of them lived in Peshawar.

He said it was very unfortunate that the entire province had no crematorium and the government hadn’t provided any vehicle for transporting bodies for cremation.

He stated that the Sikh community had to shift bodies for cremation to Attock, which was far away from Peshawar and other areas in the province.

He stated that the government had approved Rs30 million for the creation of crematorium and graveyard of Christian community in the financial year 2017-18.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024