KARACHI: A gravedigger has been apprehended in Karachi for selling a grave at an inflated price of Rs60,000, well above the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) prescribed rate of Rs14,300. The arrest followed a joint operation conducted by the Shahrah-e-Noor Jahan police and the Director of Graveyards, Sarwar Alam, under instructions from the Assistant Commissioner.
Police confirmed the arrest and stated that an FIR is being filed against the gravedigger. This comes after KMC, under the directive of Mayor Murtaza Wahab, fixed the price of a grave to regulate the city’s graveyards.
Cemeteries Director Sarwar Alam has ordered staff to adhere to KMC’s guidelines and rates, emphasizing strict enforcement to prevent overcharging. Reports suggest that mafia groups have been exploiting graveyards, extorting citizens by demanding higher fees.
The issue of grave availability has become a significant concern for Karachi’s residents, with many cemeteries nearing capacity or involved in selling plots at exorbitant prices. A petition has recently been filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) to address encroachments on graveyards and the unlawful sale of land for graves in several areas of the city, including Sakhi Hassan, Paposh Nagar, and others. The petition argues that the state is constitutionally obligated to provide land for burials.
