ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Good news hardly comes the way of citizens but this time good news is for the deceased and it is for ‘free’.

Parliamentary secretary of the cabinet division Khurram Jehangir on Tuesday informed the parliament on a point of order that burial service in the capital city is ‘completely free’.

“We have the most modern graveyards in the country and our burial services offered by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is free of cost and we do not charge a single penny,” said Mr Jehangir during his brief statement on the point of order.

The civic agency according to one official usually gives transportation services (shifting the dead body from funeral area to the graveyard), burial facility along with labour for digging the grave.

The parliamentary secretary added that Islamabad has seven graveyards. Four of them are for Muslim population, while three are for Qadianis, Christians and Bahais.

The old graveyard at the H-8 sector is now completely full to its capacity and was built in 1964, established on 50 acres.

According to an official of the Directorate of Municipal Administration over 80,000 people are buried at the H-8 graveyard.

The Directorate of Municipal Administration official said that at Islamabad’s H-8 graveyard, markings of graves makes it easy for the heirs to locate their loved ones.

Regarding the new graveyard the legislator added: “The new graveyard is established in sector H-11/3 and is ready to accommodate the deceased for the next 20 years since it was established on an area of 118 acres.”