2008 earthquake: IHC seeks reply from Balochistan officials

Asks to submit replies within two weeks.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Balochistan chief minister and four others over the failure to pay compensation to the victims of the 2008 earthquake in Balochistan.

IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi issued notices to Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Balochistan Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattha, Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Raisani, Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Tahir Minhas, and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Maj-Gen Asghar Nawaz, with directions to file replies within two weeks.

The case is based on a petition filed by Syed Saifur Rehman, who argued that the compensation package for rehabilitation announced by the then-prime minister has not been distributed among the affected families, despite court directions.

Rehman filed the petition seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the federal and Balochistan governments due to their alleged failure to comply with a court judgment passed on March 13, 2011.

In that judgment, the court had directed authorities to determine if the petitioner’s claims were genuine through a survey and to proceed according to government policy within six months.

The petitioner and 187 Baloch families that lost their homes and valuables in the earthquake then moved a contempt petition, on which the court gave two more months for compliance with its orders.

The counsel for the petitioner informed the court that even the second direction was also not taken seriously as no progress had been made despite the clear deadline. The petitioners maintained that federal and provincial governments had deprived them of financial aid announced by the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2015.