Compensation from Bajaur: PHC seeks answers from FDMA

PESHAWAR:

A division bench of the Peshawar High Court issued notices on Monday to the FATA Disaster Management Authority and Bajaur Agency political agent on a petition filed by earthquake victims who had yet to receive official compensation.

A petition demanding payment of compensation was filed by Muhammad Hanif Jan and 48 other quake victims from Salarzai tehsil through their lawyer Nasir Mehmood.

Arguing before the division bench of justices Irshad Qaiser and Syed Afsar Shah, Mehmood said the petitioners’ houses were damaged after the tremors of 2015.

He told the bench a survey was conducted by FDMA in which their houses were earmarked as partially damaged. The survey declared these individuals deserved a compensatory amount of Rs100,000.

The counsel stated even a token number was given to the affected people for their compensation. The victims were asked to contact the political agent’s office.

“Despite visiting the PA’s office daily, the petitioners have yet to be given [the promised] compensation,” he stated.

He said failure to release this amount was illegal and he requested the bench to order authorities to pay it at the earliest.

The bench issued notices to the respondents and asked them to file a reply.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2016.