Making money from the dead: Coffins a booming business in Pakistan

Fighting between Taliban militants and the Pakistan government has claimed an estimated 35000 lives in since 2003.

Malik Taj lost 18 members of his family in a bomb blast points to the place where he put 18 coffin boxes last year.

They were all killed in a terrorists attack in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan.

Coffins were once considered a luxury in and a privilege of the rich here.

But with a rise in suicide bombings…..many grieving families are prepared to pay the price. 

“We a coffin boxes the grieving relatives can only see the face of the charred dead body and not the other injured or missing body parts. It is somewhat soothing for them.”

A simple Coffin costs about 100 US dollars.. equal to one month average pay.

The Al-Khidmat Foundation is a religious group that is providing the coffins free of charge.

In the last three years alone they have provided thousands of coffin boxes to families throughout the country.

Muhammad Ilyas is Project Manager in Al khidmat.

“Our immediate response team reaches the location soon after the blast. We take the injured to the hospital and dead bodies to homes. We provide coffin boxes free of cost. We have a huge number of coffin boxes because there are bomb blasts frequently and many people die in these blasts.”

But most have to pay for their coffins and that means business is booming for people like Abid Khan.

He grown from one small shop into a chain of ten coffin stores.  

“I know it is not a good business and my family also prays that may my business with not flourish but I am able to earn a lot. It is one of the booming businesses in this country.”