To God we belong and to Him shall we return. (إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ)

Flowers blossoming on a grave

A Sea of Tombstones

My visit to H-8's Islamabad Graveyard  (Qabarustan) was the one that I will remember for a long time.

People have different opinions on visiting or not visiting cemeteries but as far as I am concerned, I think it means a lot to me. On my father's death anniversary, I went there to pay my respect and also visited a few more people that I` know through different references such as Josh Malihabadi,  Ahmad Faraz, Parveen Shakir, Qudratullah Shahab, Maulana Kauser Niazi, Begum Viqarun Nisa Noon and Mrs. Peerzada (the first principal of Islamabad College for Girls, F-6/2) to name a few and offered fateha.

H-8 Graveyard has 3 official gates but walls have been torn down at 3 points, two on the front and one at the back, to enter it easily (short-cuts culture - that we love so dearly).

I went staright to the flower shop (run by Haji Saab for decades) picked up rose petals and bottles of rose water and headed at Abbu Ji's final resting place. While getting there, I saw a board clearly stating that "this graveyard has been closed for any further buriels - No MORE buriels."

 On my way, I saw that the tombstones have sprwaled over a huge area - as far as I look. Seemingly the place has come to a maximum limit but despite the noticeboard I saw earlier,  I witnessed the digging of a number of graves near Gate 3. I was told that the CDA staff is preparing 16 graves that day. I was wondering why the authorities are breaking their own rules and laws? What is the politics of the living for the dead at CDA??

Anyhow, as it always happens, the nightmare begins at H-8 Graveyard when all sort of grave cleaners, gardeners and sort start stalking a visitor as soon as one enters the gates. These people market all sort of skills they have - which is an extra source of income apart from being employed by CDA for the maintainence of the graveyard. What is upsetting is the fact that visitors to the graveyard, with heavy hearts and tormented souls, who are there to meet their loved ones first, have to encounter these unwanted hosts.

Not everybody is lucky enough to visit the graves of their lovedones as frequently as they want, for many different reasons. A bit of silence and a fraction of time be given to these visitors to come to terms with the their loss, sea of memories, grief and sorrow. Only some time to recollect themselves, please! One must be left alone unless they themself ask for help - at least, this is my desire!

I believe that it is CDA's responsibility that they must come up with regulations for those who work, do business or who simply live inside the graveyard. The obnoxious behaviour of these people and the residents in servant quarters at the graveyard make the visitors pretty sick and put them in awkward situations.

The graves that are just next to the quarters of the staff must have a partition either of trees or bushes or whatever, so that women residents that line up and give stares or make a tamasha of any visitor be avoided.  Their laundries are hanging only a few steps away from the graves and I was wondering what can be next??? Chaos and nuisance has followed us in the graveyards too.

It is mandatory for the CDA Graveyard authorities to provide respect and space for the dead as well as their bereaved families. This Tamasha (Show) by the residents of the graveyard MUST STOP!! We are in a habbit of insulting the living and unfortunately, it does NOT stop even after the death in this country.

Another thing I have noticed is that the graves that have been cleaned up, their weeds are thrown next to other graves alongwith the plastic bags, incense boxes and like. Please have some respect, for God's sake ~ “Memento Mori” or “Remember you will die” and don't forget that cleanliness is next to godliness, isn't it!

Last but not the least, I would like to request people - to focus on selves than on others particularly when that "other" is a complete stranger! Not everybody loves Q&A (of personal types) and social networking and that too in a graveyard, kindly avoid it!

p.s:
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