Sri Lanka, on Thursday, revised a controversial gazette notification which made it mandatory to cremate the bodies of Covid-19 victims, denying minority communities, including Muslims, their religious rights.
The new gazette notification will allow both burials and cremations.
Muslim and Christian minorities in Sri Lanka and international rights groups have been advocating for the end the policy of forced cremations.
The country faced harsh criticism from human rights groups including the UNHRC.
The decision to end forced cremations came after the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan visted the country.
Several Muslims in the country had held a protest prior to Imran Khan’s visit, where they carried a mock janazah or coffin.
Khan, in a tweet, thanked the Sri Lankan government for allowing the burials.
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
Pakistani foreign minister, in a tweet, said that, said that Pakistan was “grateful” to the leadership of Sri Lanka for allowing the burial of Covid-19 victims.