Amputation of minor's arms: K-Electric, victim's family reach agreement

Power company to pay Rs25,000 every month and bear cost of child’s treatment

KARACHI: K-Electric (K-E) and the family of the eight-year-old child, who lost his limbs after they were burned by fallen high tension wires, finally agreed to settle the matter out of court, the Sindh High Court (SHC) was informed on Wednesday. The agreement stipulates that the case against K-E will be dropped in exchange of payment of financial incentives and treatment costs.

The court also accepted the bail plea of the seven arrested K-E officers and ordered them to submit surety bonds of Rs50,000 each. It further ordered K-electric to pay the family Rs25,000 each month, which will increase by 5% every year. K-E is also required to pay an amount equivalent to 300 units of electricity every month and bear the cost of the child's treatment. In turn, the case by the complainant, Umar's father, will be withdrawn.

The high court ordered the investigation officer to present this agreement in the subordinate court, where the case is being heard. Justice Salahuddin Pahnoor remarked that the court's order will not affect the Senate proceedings.



On August 24, both arms of the eight-year-old child, Umar, were badly burnt as electricity wires fell on him in Ahsanabad due to K-E negligence. The child's arms had to be amputated by doctors at the Burns Ward of Civil Hospital Karachi to save his life. Umar's father had subsequently registered a case against K-E in which the management and officials of K-E Gadap Town had been named as suspects.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had also directed the health department to make necessary arrangements for the treatment of the child.

A report by the District East assistant commissioner, filed to the deputy commissioner, had held the KE responsible for Umar's misfortune and suggested that the power utility be made to bear all of the treatment and education costs till he graduated.

The assistant commissioner recommended that the utility provider must pay Rs1million to the affected family immediately. The official had also recommended that the power company bear the expenses of Umar's treatment, prosthetic arms as well as his education until graduation. It also asked the federal and provincial governments to make the child's future secure through saving certificates amounting to Rs5 million.



Missing persons

The SHC summoned a report from the Sindh inspector-general (IG), interior ministry, director-general (DG) Rangers and other officials on October 17 regarding the recovery of 120 missing persons.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard the appeal pertaining to the recovery of the more than 120 missing persons. The court declared the police reports unsatisfactory and ordered the police and law enforcement agencies to take practical steps for the recovery of missing persons.

Justice Phulpoto remarked that a citizen, Abdul Ghaffar, had been missing since 2014 and while six investigation officers have been changed, the police officers have not done anything apart from paper work. He said that the court is concerned with the recovery of missing persons and things will not proceed with mere statements. He also remarked that from now an order would be given to register a case against the station house officer (SHO) of the area from where a person goes missing.

The court handed over the investigation of the 5-year-old girl who has been missing since 2011 to the additional IG.

Advocate Qadir Khan Mandokhel called for investigation of ASH administration in the case of missing person, Feroz Khan. Khan was admitted to ASH and later went missing. He argued that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) was under the control of terrorists and any opponents admitted there were often killed by administering injections. The court summoned a reply from the medical officer of the hospital on the petition of Khan's missing case.

Punishment upheld

The SHC rejected the appeals of the convicted person against the punishment awarded to them in the police encounter and attempted murder case. A two-member bench heard the appeal against the seven years imprisonment.

A case of police encounter was registered against Noman and other culprits in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station. According to the police, Noman had been injured while two of his accomplices were killed during the encounter. A subordinate court announced the punishment after guilt was established.

VIP security

The court postponed the hearing of the petition related to the provision of security to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari due to the absence of his lawyer, Akhtar Hussain. A two-member bench headed by the SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard the case.

The written order of the SHC regarding the security of the VIP political personalities was presented in the court in which the Supreme Court (SC) had directed to provide security to the people under threat according to the law. Bilawal argued in the petition that his life was in danger and requested for security to be provided. The petition maintained that his mother had been assassinated and that militant organisations had issued open threats to the PPP. It also stated that the militant organisations had already carried out multiple attacks against PPP leaders. The petition said that Bilawal has to tour Pakistan due to political commitments and thus requested the court to direct the federal and all provincial governments to provide security.

Vote recount

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) filed a petition in the SHC requesting for a recount in NA-241, PS-126 and PS-130 constituencies. The petition was filed by Moeen Amir Pirzada, Asif Ali and Jamal Ahmed. The petition alleged that votes were manipulated through rigging. The petition also stated that the party's polling agents were evicted and the process of counting was carried out illegally in their absence. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2018.