Peshawar, April 7 (ANI) — Minority communities in Pakistan, particularly Christians, are confronting a worsening burial-space crisis that turns mourning into a struggle and raises serious human rights and ethical questions. Families report being forced to inter loved ones in overcrowded plots, to reuse old graves, or to accept burials in sites that have long since exceeded capacity.
Historic cemeteries such as Gora, Wazir Bagh, Kohati and Nauthia, established before 1947, were never planned for today’s population. Encroachments by land mafias and unchecked development have shrunk available burial land, and in some instances remains have been exhumed to clear space for new interments. Those practices have caused deep emotional distress and disputes among families who expected permanent, dignified resting places for their dead.
Members of the affected communities say they have few realistic alternatives. College lecturer Imran Yousaf Masih and government employee Zulfiqar Masih told reporters that minorities remain denied basic rights, including access to adequate burial grounds, despite their status as equal citizens. The problem extends beyond Christians to Hindus and Sikhs as well. Activists say successive provincial and federal governments, including the PTI administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have made pledges that remain largely unimplemented.
The 2023 census records minorities at about 3.3% of Pakistan’s population, with significant numbers in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Balochistan. Social worker Haroon Sarabdyal said that funds earmarked for minority graveyards have yielded little on-the-ground improvement. He criticized proposals to relocate burial grounds to remote sites, arguing that distance would make access difficult for families and could raise security concerns.
Activists also point to a lack of minority representation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, leaving communities without a direct voice in decisions that affect their burial rights. Repeated requests for comment from government officials went unanswered, according to reporting. The situation has left many families struggling to secure what they view as a basic dignity in death.
