I lost my wife in the Airblue accident and I find the conduct of bodies involved appalling.
KARACHI: This is with reference to a report in your newspaper on the delay in compensation to relatives and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the Airblue plane crash. I lost my wife in the accident and I find the conduct of bodies like the National Disaster Management Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the information, defence and interior ministries and particularly of the airline in question appalling.
Government functionaries have been completely oblivious to what needs to be done in this regard. Neither do they now and nor do they care. For them either a photo-op either at the crash location or at PIMS was enough to raise their chances for the next election. The apathy with which government officials and Airblue have handled the situation is disturbing.
The issue of compensation is bogged down in legalities and red tape. No amount of compensation can lessen the amount of pain and anguish these families are facing. However, a respectable amount can help make the remainder of their lives bearable – but it isn’t clear when that will happen.
Junaid Hamid
Published in The Express Tribune September 11th, 2010.
