Daily Times

LAHORE: Despite given in the functions of the Punjab Shehr-e-Khamoshan Authority (PSKA) Act 2017, the authority has failed to construct a model cemetery for minorities, Daily Times learnt through reliable sources.

Daily Times was also informed that in June 2017, the government of Punjab had established PSKA and according to the act, it was the authority’s responsibility to allocate separate areas in the cemetery or create a separate cemetery for purposes of internment or burial or cremation of dead human bodies of non-Muslim communities, but PSKA has failed to allocate the separate areas for non-Muslim community. Despite the budget allocation of Rs 1 billion, PSKA failed to allot a space in the suburbs of Lahore for the graveyard, Daily Times learnt from reliable sources.

According to sources, PSKA is an autonomous body, to maintain and monitor model cemeteries and crematoriums across Punjab. Sources added that PSKA, established since last one year, has sufficient funds for establishing graveyards but it has consumed funds on the Muslim graveyards where as no allocation has been made for non-Muslim graveyards so far.

Talking to Pakistan National Council of Churches General Secretary Victor Azriah, he expressed his shock over the existence of such an authority and revealed that he had never heard of it earlier.

“This authority has never contacted us for knowing our demands regarding graveyards or their maintenance. We have the same old graveyards for the Christian community and there is no new addition of space in them. With the increase in population, the Christian community has also increased and thus the requirement of graveyard is also raised. We are finding space for a graveyard by spending our own resources but no support has been extended yet by this authority,” Victor Azriah added. He expressed his grief over the minorities being neglected by the government in this matter.

The Pakistan Hindu Council Patron-in-Chief and Member National Assembly Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, while talking to Daily Times, said that he had several meetings with the Pakistani leadership and the Punjab chief minister had assured him for the establishment of an authority for creating Hindu cremation ground.

“This problem could not be solved despite the establishment of Punjab Shehr-e-Khamoshan Authority. There is no Hindu cremation ground for the Hindu community in Lahore and we have to seek small and hidden spaces for this purpose. There is no Shamshan Ghaat in Islamabad as well, rather there are very few in Pakistan. Our community is increasing but there is no facility for us. I think there should be an elected person on minority seat in government rather than on reserved quota, doing this would be in the favour of minorities. No issues of Hindu community are being solved by the Punjab government and we are very distressed over it,” MNA Ramesh Kumar lamented.

A local Sikh resident Mahinder Pal Singh, also while talking to Daily Times expressed his grief over the lack of Sikh cremation grounds.

“There are a lot of Sikh properties in Lahore under the Evacuee Property Trust Board and it is not a problem for the government to allocate a place for Sikh Shamshan Ghaat out of those properties. We have to go all the way to Nankana Sahib for the last rites of the deceased and transportation is a serious concern in this regard. Many of us cannot afford this transportation cost but there is no other option for us,” he said.

Discussing the matter with PSKA Managing Director Salman Sufi, he said that they would be constructing non-Muslims crematoriums in the suburbs of the city.

“We have already discussed this with the minority representatives and the work will start in Phase 2 of PSKA project. The rights of minorities are on our agenda as per the Act of PSKA and we will soon start the work on it,” Salman Sufi said. He also added that there is insufficient staff at PSKA and unless the government lifts up the ban on recruitment they cannot move any further.

Published in Daily Times, April 18^th 2018.