KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Wednesday directed the culture department to ensure preservation and beautification of the historical Chaukhandi graveyard by bringing stones from Jungshahi for the compound wall, benches and other related monuments in the cemetery.

According to a CM House spokesperson, the chief minister was presiding over a follow-up meeting on the beautification of Sharea Faisal and the Chaukhandi graveyard.

The meeting was held at CM House and was attended among others by Culture Minister Dr Junaid Shah, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, culture secretary Khalid Chachar, commissioner Saleem Rajput, architects Ali Naqvi, Arshad Farouqi, Yawar Jilani, Adil Kerai, Hafiz Habib and Kaleem Lashari.

Commissioner Saleem Rajput and deputy commissioner of Malir Saeed Leghari gave a detailed briefing to the chief minister.

CM orders beautification of Sharea Faisal on modern lines

They said that the land measuring 30 acres had been identified for a new graveyard so that burials could be carried out there instead of the historical Chaukhandi graveyard.

The CM was told that the Chaukhandi graveyard had 25.04 acres while additional land of 68.34 acres was within the boundary walls, which comes to a total of 93.38 acres.

The CM was told that all the encroachment from the graveyard entrance had been removed and now the land was ready for development.

On the advice of the architects, the CM directed the culture department to arrange stones from Jungshahi for the compound wall of the graveyard and the construction of benches, and other related monuments.

The CM said that the graveyard area should have vast beautiful sitting places, benches, trees, and lights with effects and a beautiful entrance should be constructed with the Jungshahi stone.

The architects would present a final design plan to the CM to start the work.

The chief minister was told that Unesco was not declaring the cemetery ‘international heritage’ because of illegal ongoing burials by locals.

Sharea Faisal beautification

The chief minister said that the Sharea Faisal beautification project was aimed at enhancing the visual appeal of the road, improving its advertising effectiveness and creating a cohesive urban environment.

He said that the plan would be carried out under the guidelines of design standards, dynamic signage, content rotation, lighting efficiency, maintenance, and community engagement.

The chief minister said that the architects would ensure that signage adhered to a unified design language that complemented the urban landscape.

The chief minister emphasised the need for prioritising standard size with integrating digital technology like LED screens and digital billboards for changing content.

He said that by implementing these guidelines, the signage policy for Sharea Faisal would create an engaging and visually captivating urban environment, enhancing the overall experience for residents and visitors.

The CM pointed out that the look of the road at the airport would improve when the three Falaknaz buildings were renovated.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023