Chowkandi graveyard

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the provincial law officer to submit details of the funds spent on the maintenance of the historical Chowkandi graveyard and a report on the removal of encroachments around the cemetery.

Hearing a petition filed by Agha Syed Attaullah Shah against a lack of proper care for the historical cemetery, located on the National Highway near Landhi, and encroachments built around it, the court took exception to non-compliance with its directives and ordered the culture department and the board of revenue to file affidavits with regard to the total area of the graveyard and the removal of encroachments from there.

The petitioner submitted that Chowkandi was a precious national heritage spread over almost 57 acres. He said the cemetery had been a family graveyard of the Jokhio and Baloch tribes that lived in the area from the 15th to the 18th century. 

He said people were encroaching upon the graveyard’s land to build hotels, houses and offices of truck stands, but the chief secretary, the culture secretary and the Malir Development Authority were taking no action to stop those illegal activities. He requested the high court to direct the government to ensure the maintenance of the graveyard and to remove encroachments from there.

He also requested the court to direct the heritage department to file a statement regarding funds spent on the maintenance of the heritage site.