The scene in Balakot post 2005 earthquake. PHOTO: REUTERS
Earlier in the day, the CJP headed a three-judge bench which heard a case on the alleged embezzlement of $5 billion aid given by the international community for rehabilitation of the quake-affected area. The chef justice had taken a suo motu notice of the alleged corruption over a petition filed by area locals.
During the hearing of the case, an official of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) told the court that the organisation was facing issues in getting ownership of the land. To this, the CJP asked, “Will the poor people stay under the sky for two years?”
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He then asked the Erra official about the funds received as foreign aid. To this, the official said that the government released funds worth Rs1.9 billion while the donors had provided Rs100 billion. He also said that the Erra completed 10,563 projects but several others were still under development for which the authority required another Rs37 billion.
Unimpressed by what he was told at the hearing, the CJP asked how long it would take to travel to Mansehra. The Erra official replied, “At least four hours.” The chief justice then announced that he would travel to Balakot to personally review the situation there.
Visit to Balakot
After the court hearing, the CJP made his way to Balakot and personally inspected a district hospital, government high school, local court and all earthquake-affected areas. He was greeted with slogans of “Long live CJP Nisar” raised by the locals.
The top judge then visited a hospital run by the Falahe Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) – the welfare wing of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
The Lahore High Court had previously allowed lawful activities of the JuD and the FIF in a petition moved by JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, challenging a notification by the Ministry of Interior on freezing its bank accounts and taking over assets of both the organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2018.
CJP Nisar had earlier stopped at Mansehra and addressed the district bar, where he remarked that there would be no compromise on the provision of human rights.
Owing to his high profile visit, foolproof security arrangements were made and the CJP was accompanied by the DIG Hazara division, the DPO Mansehra, the DG health and various other officers throughout his trip.
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The chief justice expressed displeasure over the incompletion of Balakot’s district headquarters hospital and reprimanded the authorities concerned. He also examined shelters donated by the Saudi government and was informed by locals that since 12 years they had been living in box-type shelters under extreme weather conditions due to incompletion of the Balakot city project.
Furthermore, renowned religious scholar Qazi Khalil Ahmed welcomed the CJP to the civil hospital and briefed him in detail about the lack of proper facilities in schools and hospitals.
“Helicopters have been capturing our destruction for 12 years but our funds are being used in other areas while we are left destitute,” said Ahmed.
He added that the people would not let courts be transferred from Balakot, to which the CJP assured him that until the city was restored, the courts would not be shifted.
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