PM welcomes Sri Lanka’s decision allowing burial for COVID-19 victims

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has welcomed the decision of Sri Lanka of lifting a ban on the burial of bodies of people whose deaths were caused by a coronavirus.

The prime minister took to Twitter and thanked the Sri Lankan government for allowing alow burial option for those dying of COVID-19.

I thank the Sri Lankan leadership & welcome the Sri Lankan govt’s official notification allowing the burial option for those dying of Covid 19.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 26, 2021

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also expressed his sentiments saying that this display of mutual understanding and respect is important for prosperity.

Pakistan is grateful to the leadership of Sri Lanka for allowing the option of burial for victims of #Covid19. Indeed it is these very principles of mutual understanding, respect and humanity that bring relationships to thrive and prosper. 🇵🇰 🇱🇰 https://t.co/wdUZzaaUVT

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 26, 2021

This comes days after Sri Lanka’s minority Muslims demonstrated in Colombo demanding an end to forced cremations of Covid-19 victims as Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived on an official visit.

Dozens of Muslims carried a mock coffin, denouncing the Sri Lankan government’s policy of banning burials of virus victims disregarding their funeral rites. The demonstration was aimed at Imran Khan’s visit who had weighed in on the plight of Muslims in Sri Lanka.

PM Imran Khan had welcomed an announcement by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on February 10 that burials would be allowed, but a day later Colombo backtracked and said there would be no change in the cremation-only policy.

Read more: Receiving signed bat from Imran Khan a ‘memory for ages’: Sri Lankan minister

Sri Lanka first banned burials in April amid concerns – which experts say are baseless – by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus. The World Health Organisation has said there is no such risk, recommending both burial and cremation of virus victims.

In December, the authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim COVID-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue.

This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern.
Muslim community leaders say more than half the 450 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority which accounts for just 10 percent of the 21 million population.