DERA GHAZI KHAN, June 30: The district government has yet to get constructed the boundary wall of the Christian cemetery despite allocation of funds.

Dawn learnt on Sunday the government allocated Rs500,000 in October 2001 for the construction of boundary walls of the cemetery. The cemetery project was handed over to the district government by minority members on Nov 3, 2001.

However, the district government failed to get the wall constructed even after seven months.

The cemetery was established over a century ago. It spreads over 26 kanals and 13 marlas opposite the Central Jail. The first grave was dug here in 1885. Rajanpur Assistant Commissioner Arther Sandeman Stephen was buried here in 1898.

The graveyard was earlier used for unidentified bodies by police, jail authorities and municipality.

The minority community and their elected members always complained about the misuse of the graveyard. But authorities concerned never paid heed to their complaints. The seven elected members of the Christian community in the district government have also failed to solve the problems.

Minority member Mrs Mukhtar Bano told this correspondent that they had failed to initiate development projects for the minority due to the negligence of the district government. She said a room was constructed with union council funds for last rituals at cemetery. She said it was done owing to special interest of a Nazim.

She regretted the district government lost the funds for the boundary wall of the cemetery. She told that appeals had been sent to the president, the Punjab governor, Secretary Auqaf and minister of minority affairs for the restoration of the cemetery.

A female member of district council, Shahida Qureshi, told Dawn that the district Nazim was always interested in meeting the demands of his Millat Party.