ISLAMABAD: The federal capital’s rural population is swiftly running out of burial space due to expanded urbanisation and mushroom growth of unauthorised housing societies which are not dedicating land for the purpose.
The rural population, accommodating an influx of urbanisation, has demanded the authorities concerned to ensure the provision of land to the new localities emerging out of the civic bodies’ control in zone four and five.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) UC-22 Vice Chairman Ilyas Kiyani, while talking to APP, said that due to an increased cost of land and improper planning by the housing societies, the issue of space for burials is aggravating and settlers have to move their bodies to their native towns. He added that the locality has only one graveyard, and space is swiftly shrinking causing locals to not to allow outsiders to bury their deceased there.
The issue he said has been brought in the notice of Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry for allocation of land for another graveyard. The minister has assured to look into the matter on priority.
PML-N Vice Chairman from UC-18 Raja Amjad said that there is no official graveyard in NA 48-49 constituency and huge population have to move their deceased to their native localities despite the fact that they have settled in these areas over the years.
An official from Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) informed that Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman had directed to provide temporary burial facility to the residents of UC-44 to 48 in H-11/3 graveyard.
An official from regional planning department of CDA requesting anonymity said that their department did not have the authority to alter ICT zoning regulations, and that grant of permission was an attempt to provide benefit to the private housing societies which have been built on land reserved for public buildings, graveyards, parks, schools or mosques.
He added that according to modalities and procedures framed under ICT (Zoning) Regulation 1992 for the development of private housing schemes, it was mandatory for housing societies to reserve at least two per cent of their land for graveyards.
“Recently, IMC moved a case for a graveyard of Indian community which had been approved by our department,” he added.
The Christian community has also demanded an allocation of the piece of land in capital’s rural areas exclusively.
It is pertinent to mention that National Assembly has recently adopted a resolution, moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Asad Umar for allocation of separate land for graveyards in rural areas of Islamabad.
