Christians Forced to Travel Long for Burials

Fazal Rahman

Bajaur: For Samina*, the word grief or ‘funeral’ held little or no relevance when she was busy in the celebrations of Christmas. Soaking up enjoyment and happiness still, Samina saw her amusements turn into grief and astonishment after she learnt that her brother-in-law had died and she had to prepare for his funeral rites.

As grief had befallen the family, the grief-stricken family’s problems were compounded by the fact that the year’s savings had already been spent on Christmas shopping. Caught in a troubled situation, adding to the woes of the family was the non-availability of a burial facility at the local graveyard to fulfill their religious funeral rites.

The family had to travel 150 kilometers from Bajaur to Nowshera for the burial in a Christian cemetery. And the travel came at a cost of extra transportation expenses. To further the woes, permission for the burial, if not granted, would to be a further problem.

Samina was feeling a little hesitant to talk to an outsider, particularly someone from the media. Having spent more than a decade in Bajaur, she had become accustomed to the local traditional lifestyle where a woman’s interaction with men, including being interviewed by a male journalist, is considered inappropriate and against the cultural values.

The cost of transportation to Nowshera from Bajaur is Rs 40,000 to Rs50,000, according to local Christians. This is a huge amount for the Christian families in the area, many of whom depend on daily wages for survival. After a recent constant increase in petroleum prices, the transportation charges have gone beyond the reach of most of the Christian community residents as they are involved in low-paid labor work.

“We had to take the body to Nowshera for burial because there is no cemetery for the Christian community in Bajaur,” Samina told ThePenPk.com.

When families of the deceased in the area fail to manage burial and other related expenses, local Christian community and the local church manage it through donations. In a worsening situation, the community has to transport the body, even if a newborn baby dies, to Nowshera for burial.

We had to take the body to Nowshera for burial because there is no cemetery for the Christian community in Bajaur: Samina Masih*

The travel not only adds to the burial cost for the bereaving families but needs extra expenses for staying a day or two to complete the burial-related rituals. Such a scenario demands that a cemetery be made available for the community in Bajaur.

The miseries of the people belonging to multiple religious minorities have not been mitigated one bit. The community has to get a prior letter from the priest for burial as the cemetery in Nowshera is located in a Cantonment area and the process of getting permission takes hours.

“You cannot dig a grave until you get permission from the local priest,” said Pervaiz Masih, a community member. “Sometimes it’s too late to get permission and the corpse stays lying around.”

50-year-old Pervaiz was young when his parents migrated to Bajaur. Pervaiz explained the issues that his community faces every day. He said when they take the deceased to Nowshera for burial they find a strange environment standing among strange people and this is another daunting task that they have to confront.Photo credit: Fazal Rahman

“We are living in Bajaur and our church is in Nowshera, therefore, why should the government give us a place for burial? I have been asked many times by locals while visiting Nowshera for burials. They ask us why we bury our loved ones here when we have been living in Bajaur for four decades. I can never answer them,” Pervaiz explained.

Pervaiz had applied for a cemetery for the first time in 1998 and requested to the then political agent to fulfill the legitimate demand of the community, but his request was turned down. He has applied several times after that but to no avail. The community has also approached the local elected representatives, but no one has paid attention to their demand and the problem has been in a lurch since.

Due to the long distance and lack of resources, a few families can visit the graveyard in Nowshera on occasions such as Chehellum or on the eve of annual festivals like Easter, one of the most important and oldest annual festivals of the Christian community.

“At the time of elections, the political representatives avow but after winning the elections, they don’t even bother to bring reforms which may elevate our miseries,” complained Pervaiz.

It is a genuine demand of minorities living in the district. Their demands will be fulfilled as soon as possible. We support their demand and will take up this matter with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government: Bajaur DC Iftikhar Alam

For the Christian community living in Bajaur, access to jobs, official documentation and basic religious facilities remains a pressing concern, prompting local residents to seek greater government support in the newly merged tribal district.

Members of the community say the absence of domiciles for some residents has become a particular obstacle to accessing government employment opportunities, while they are also seeking improved facilities for worship and community life.

Deputy Commissioner Bajaur Iftikhar Alam acknowledged the concerns, describing them as genuine demands of the district’s minority population. He said the administration supported the community’s requests and would raise the issues with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

According to Alam, the government has already completed construction of a church in the district, while other demands of the Christian community are being considered.

He said he had personally attempted to ensure the community received its due share of government employment opportunities, but the lack of domiciles among some members had created difficulties.

“I personally tried to maintain their share in jobs, but all the community members don’t have domiciles. However, we have taken up this matter with the provincial government,” he said.

The issue highlights the challenges faced by religious minorities in accessing government services and opportunities in areas that have undergone significant administrative changes following the merger of the former tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Special Assistant to the KP Chief Minister on Minority Affairs Wazir Zada said the provincial government had introduced measures aimed at supporting religious minorities, including reserved job quotas and funding for places of worship.

He said more than Rs20 million had been spent on the construction of churches, while funds had also been allocated for development in the merged districts.

Zada said the government was working to address the concerns of religious minorities living in different parts of KP and ensure their inclusion in development initiatives.

For Bajaur’s Christian residents, however, the demand goes beyond infrastructure. Access to official documentation, employment opportunities and equal participation in public life remains central to their call for greater inclusion.

Local officials say the matter has been taken up with the provincial government, raising hopes within the community that the outstanding issues will be addressed.

The name of the woman has been changed to protect her identity due to cultural considerations.