RAWALPINDI: A graveyard developed on 100 kanals for non-Muslim communities at Rakh Dhamial area of Rawalpindi was inaugurated by Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha on Saturday.

The land for the graveyard was allocated by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto during her second tenurein1996.

Apart from the land set aside for the non-Muslims, 500 kanals was allocated for the city residents and 400 kanals for the residents of Rawalpindi and Chaklala residents in the area.

However, work on the development of Rakh Dhamial started in 2017 during the tenure of of the PML-N under a Shehr-i-Khamoshan project launched by then chief minister Shahbaz Sharifto improve the condition of graveyards in the province.

In 2021, former Mayor Sardar Naseem allocated Rs20 million for the development work at Rakh Dhamial graveyard. Three funeral buses were also purchased by Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC).

However, the RMC was reluctant to allocate land for the graveyard of the cantonment areas.

Commissioner Chatha managed to solve the issue between the cantonment and the city administrations and bifurcated the land between them.

Pastor Adil Gill and representatives of churches participated in the inaugural ceremony held at Rak Dhamial.

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said it was a long-standing issue of the people of Rawalpindi.

He said 1,000 kanals had been allocated for the graveyard out of which 500 kanals was given to the RMC, 200 kanals each to Rawalpindi Cantonment and Chaklala Cantonment and 100 kanals allocated for the minorities.

Mr Chatha said Rakh Dhamial will be made a model graveyard. The boundary wall of the graveyard for Muslims has been completed and the ground leveling work is in progress.

Likewise, a road has been constructed to connect the area with the city and cantonment areas. Apart from this, he said, the funeral prayer space was also ready.

The commissioner said Christian community members who cannot afford the transportation cost can use the funeral bus and ambulance to bring the bodies to the graveyard by calling the RMC from anywhere in Rawalpindi.

`The grave fee has been fixed at Rs5,000 but those who cannot afford it will not be charged. The RMC and RWMC will maintain cleanliness in the graveyard,` he said. Mr Chatha said the constitution of Pakistan provides all the rights to minorities that the rest of the citizens were entitled to.

`We are making efforts to provide facilities to the minorities beyond their basic rights.

He said instructions had been issued to improve other municipal services for the minorities.

Speaking on the occasion, Pastor Adil Gill said getting such a large space for the cemetery was a great relief to the citizens of Rawalpindi.

`We are grateful to the commissioner Rawalpindi for this,` he added.