LAHORE, Pakistan: The Punjab government has decided to establish most modern graveyards in major cities of the province.
The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif held in Lahore on Friday to review scope of establishment of state-of-the-art graveyards on the pattern of Shehr-e-Khamoshan.
While addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that death is a reality and we all have to meet the Creature one day. He said that increase in population has necessitated the need to establish more graveyards.
Keeping this thing in view, a model graveyard Shehr-e-Khamoshan has been established in Kahna Nau area in Lahore. More than one Shehr-e-Khamoshan will be established in big cities to cater to the needs of the rising population and the model of Shehr-e-Khamoshan will be replicated in other cities.
The Chief Minister directed to furnish a report within two weeks after identification of piece of lands in different districts.
The state-of-the-art graveyards on the pattern of Shehr-e-Khamoshan will be established in major cities before December 2018, he added.
Shahbaz Sharif said that Shehr-e-Khamoshan Authority has been established by the Punjab government and Rs 1 billion have been allocated in the provincial budget 2017-18.
The Punjab Chief Minister lamented the commercial use of areas reserved for graveyards in private housing schemes and said that concerned development authorities and other departments should ensure that the private housing schemes must use the areas allocated for graveyards for the said purpose and rules and regulations should be strictly followed.
The Chief Minister that he has visited Shehr-e-Khamoshan model graveyard a few days ago and has observed that decent arrangements have been made to perform funeral rites including separate arrangement of ablution of the dead bodies while cold storage facility is also provided. Similarly, separate arrangements have been made for ablution and funeral prayer. This graveyard fulfills the need of a modern cemetery, he added.
The Acting DG Punjab Shehr-e-Khamoshan Authority and Director General CM Strategic Reforms Unit Salman Sufi gave a briefing to the meeting.
The Chief Minister appreciated the performance of Salman Sufi and his team and also commended the role of concerned ministers and departments. Provincial Ministers Rana Sana Ullah, Mansha Ullah Butt, Perviaz Malik MNA, MPAs including Shehbaz Ahmad, Faqir Hussain Dogar and Uzma Qadri, administrative secretaries and senior officials attended the meeting.
The Chief Secretary as well as Mayors, Chairmen of Zila Councils and Divisional Commissioners of Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Sahiwal participated the meeting through video link.
