Bhoja Air crash: Heirs petition high court for independent inquiry

Demand immediate payment of Rs5 million as compensation for every family.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to top officials of the federal government on a petition filed by heirs of victims of Bhoja Air crash. The relatives of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident,  have requested an independent inquiry into the air crash in which 127 people were killed.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of IHC while accepting the petition issued notices to defence and interior secretaries, Bhoja Air Chairman Farook Omar Bhoja, the capital’s police chief, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences administrator and directors general of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and sought their comments.

Muhammad Tariq and seven others petitioned the court to order an independent inquiry to determine the actual cause of plane crash that took place on Aril, 20 this year on the capital’s periphery. Their counsel Farouk Adam Khan informed the court that CAA has not initiated an independent inquiry even seven months after the crash.

The airline has not paid compensation to the victims’ families either, he added. Khan requested the court to direct Bhoja Air to immediately pay compensation of Rs5 million to the family of each victim without any pre-conditions. “As per provision of carriage by Air Act, 2012 every victim family member is entitled to be paid Rs5 million,” he added

The petitioners’ counsel alleged that the airline’s management has started to contact selective victims’ families and is illegally pressurising them to sign a global release agreement before they are paid any compensation.

Meanwhile, he also prayed the court to direct the CDA chief, Farkhand Iqbal, to explain why he retained the black box for more than 24 hours in violation of rules after the incident.

The date for the next hearing will be fixed by the registrar’s office.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2012.