Daily Times

Sindh caretaker minister for minority affairs directed the Minority Affairs department to rebuild a boundary wall around ‘Gora Qabristan’, a century old Christian cemetery.

The cemetery’s boundary wall had been demolished by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) following the Supreme Court (SC) orders pertaining to the removal of hoardings and billboards.

The Cemetery remained without a boundary wall for more than two months which led to disrespect of graves and security issues. On the complaints, caretaker minister for minority affairs and human rights, Simon John Daniel took action and directed Minority Affairs Department Government of Sindh to rebuild the wall on an urgent basis.

On Thursday, caretaker minister for minority affairs alongwith the Bishop of Karachi and Balochistan, Sadiq Daniel and Minority Affairs Deputy Director Anwar Babar visited the Christian cemetery and inspected the progress made on the construction of boundary wall. The caretaker minister directed Minority Affairs Executive Engineer Riaz Bhutto to complete the boundary wall and construct two separate lavatory blocks for men and women.

Riaz Bhutto informed Simon John Daniel that PC-1 for restoration of the historic Christian graveyard was under consideration. He told the caretaker minister that this project, with a cost of Rs 50 million (mn) would include construction and raising of the cemetry’s compound wall, conservation of old graves, construction of officers, construction of four blocks of lavatory and the filling of 30 percent of the graveyard’s depression area.

Published in Daily Times, August 17^th 2018.