Women’s park converted into graveyard

GHAZNI CITY (PAN’s recreation park in Ghazni City, the capital of southern Ghazni province, is being converted to a graveyard as many bring their deceased relatives for burial to the garden.

Located in Ali Lala area, two kilometres west of the city, the park was built two years ago at a cost of about nine million afghanis (approx $160,370).

At the time of its inauguration, officials had said local women would use the garden for recreational purposes and exhibiting their handicrafts.

A resident of Ghazni City, Shabana, told Pajhwok Afghan News the garden had never been used for what it was created.

“Officials had promised us they would arrange exhibitions of women’s handicrafts in the garden to find a proper market for the products, but the park is currently used as a graveyard,” she lamented.

Shabana said she had several times complained to the women’s affairs department, but failed to elicit a positive response.

Another resident of the city, Mohammad Akbar has the same complain. He said the government had spent a much money on building the garden but unfortunately it looked like a graveyard.

Another resident, Rahima, who makes different handicrafts, said officials had several times promised women of arranging exhibitions for their products, but no practical step had so far been taken in this regard.

“My husband is no more and I am responsible to feed the entire family. I wish my handicrafts are sold at reasonable price,” she said.

Yet another resident, Karima, said the garden was located away from the city and women could not visit it.

Women’s Affairs Director Shukria Wali said the garden area was formerly used as graveyard, but after the park’s construction, no deceased gad been buried so far there.

However, she said the deceased uncle of the provincial justice department chief was buried in the garden after local officials had allowed it.

No other corpses would be allowed to be buried in the garden, she said, adding security threats in the area restricted women from visiting the park.

A plan has been devised to open a tailoring centre for women in the garden next year, she said.

mds/ma

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