KARACHI: City Administrator Laeeq Ahmed on Monday said that the cemeteries under the administrative control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation were in very poor condition as “graveyards mafia” was ruling the burial grounds.

While presiding over a meeting to review the affairs of graveyards, he said that the burial process at KMC cemeteries should be done through one window.

The administrator said that graveyards’ managing committees comprising of welfare organizations including Saylani, JDC, Edhi Foundation and Chhipa Foundation would be formed for betterment. The committees would manage the graveyards’ affairs with the KMC, he added.

Saylani Welfare Trust president Yousuf Lakhani, JDC general secretary Zafar Abbas, representatives of Edhi Foundation, Chhipa Foundation and KMC officials were also present.

The administrator said that people should get graves on government-fixed rates and overcharging should come to an end. “We want welfare organizations to cooperate with the KMC for fixing issues at cemeteries,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said that if some welfare organization wanted to take administrative control of graveyard, the KMC would cooperate with it.

JDC general secretary Zafar Abbas said that condition of cemeteries was worsening as graves were sold from Rs10,000 to Rs250,000. He said that graves were removed and replaced by another grave if the family members didn’t turn up to visit the cemeteries.

Mr Abbas offered that JDC could establish a graveyard on the pattern of Wadi-i-Hussain cemetery if the KMC provided the land.

Yousuf Lakhani said that condition of community graveyards was much better but the same were out of space.

He said that there was dire need to establish new graveyards in Karachi.

Edhi Foundation representative said that the cemetery at Mawach Goth, where dead bodies of people having no heirs were buried, was also out of space.

The administrator hailed the welfare organizations for their offer to cooperate with the administration and said that keeping in view increase in Karachi’s population, new graveyards had to be established.

He said that all departments concerned would be taken on board for establishing new graveyards in Karachi’s different localities as per requirement.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2021