KARACHI - The Sindh government here on Friday decided to allocate state land for graveyards in Karachi and the commissioner was asked to identify the available state land for graveyards in districts West and East.
This was decided in a high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, said a statement. The decision was taken keeping in view position of already filled graveyards in the metropolitan.
Commissioner of Karachi Iftikhar Ahmed Shelwani, Metropolitan Commissioner Dr. Syed Saif-ur-Rehman, DG KDA Dr. Badar Jameel,Member Board of Revenue Tamizuddin Khehro and all Deputy Commissioners of Karachi attended the meeting.
The commissioner briefed the participants of the meeting that graveyards in Karachi were out of space and there was immediate need to establish new graveyards in all six districts of the city.
The Metropolitan Commissioner informed the meeting that there were 203 graveyards under the administration of KMC in the city.
Out of 203 there were 184 graveyards of Muslims, 12 Christian graveyards, 5 graveyards of Hindus and one each for Jews and Parses.
He informed the meeting that the KMC was also developing three new graveyards in the city at Surjani sector 16,Link Road N-5 at Super highway and at Taiser - Gaddap town.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah stated that lack of space in graveyard has emerged as a major issue. He said that there was an urgent need to allocate more land for graveyards not only for Muslims but also for minorities.
The CS Sindh directed the Member Sindh Board of Revenue to convene a meeting of Reserve Committee of Board of Revenue to reserve the available state land 300 acres in Gaddap, 200 acres in Bin Qasim and five acres in Korangi for the graveyards. Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah further directed that a summary about the available land would also be submitted to the Sindh Cabinet for approval.
He has directed the Commissioner Karachi and all deputy commissioners to identify more available state land for graveyards in districts West and East of Karachi.
The CS Sindh also directed the Metropolitan Commissioner KMC to submit plan/mechanism regarding administration of new graveyards within a week.