LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Monday directed deputy commissioner and Miani Sahib Graveyard’s committee to make the graveyard a safer place for the visitors and clean from the drug paddlers, addicts and criminals.

A division bench of the LHC passed the order on a plea seeking directions for the authorities concerned to take action against encroachment, use of drugs and abode of criminals.

During the proceedings, the deputy commissioner and chairman of the graveyard committee told the court that that the guards deployed at the graveyard were equipped with firearms and they were performing their duties regularly and afficiently. The DC said that it was expected that the guards would be deputed to perform mobile duty to cover a vast area. The DC also submitted report regarding encroachment saying that another area of 31 kanal had been retrieved from illegal encroachers. It told the court that work was under progress to comply with the directions of this court for removal of all sorts of encroachments and to make the graveyard a safe place for the public. Following the earlier order, the DC said that pathways were under construction while 67 electric poles had been erected with 227 lights to facilitate the public in general during their visit of the graveyards even at the evening time.

However, the court expressed dismay over non-submission of report by the Lahore Development Authority regarding compliance of the court’s earlier orders. The court directed a law officer to convey court’s order of Feb 16 to the LDA DG observing that it would summon him if the report was not submitted till the next date. The court would resume hearing on June 14.