LAHORE, Pakistan: The Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan delivered an eight-page verdict on Saturday, directing the Punjab government to make the burial services in cemeteries free of cost.
In the judgment supported by hadiths and international laws, Justice Qasim Khan imposed a ban on the collection of money for burial in cemeteries across the Punjab province, the media reports said.
The verdict stated that the Punjab government should amend the law regarding the burial of the deceased.
While shedding light on the verdict, the LHC Chief Justice elaborated that citizens pay taxes to the government all their lives.
It is inappropriate if even at the time of death, they are charged money in the name of graves, he added.
“It is the responsibility of the government to bear the cost of burial of the citizens. The law should be amended so that the administration can provide free transport to the cemetery for burial,” he said.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has also been given a directive to allocate land for graveyards in private housing societies.
The verdict concluded with a directive given to the government administration to take necessary steps to maintain the cemeteries and plant trees.
