Demanding compensation: Vulnerable victim of terrorism awaits help

Family of slain peace committee member seeks support for child’s treatment, education.

SWAT:

The family of a peace committee member, Sardar Ali, who was recently murdered by the Taliban, has appealed to the government for compensation.

Ali’s three-year-old son, Fazal Mohammad, who was hit by a stray bullet when militants opened fire at his father, is in need of medical care, which his impoverished family is unable to afford.

The family maintains that the child’s health is deteriorating and has appealed to the government to provide financial assistance for his treatment as well as his education.

After the shooting, locals narrated that they found Muhammad severely wounded. Since their village, Mangaltan of Charbagh Tehsil, does not have a hospital, they had to take him to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospitals. Given the lack of transport facilities at the village and the family’s meagre means, locals had to pool in money to hire a vehicle to get the child to a hospital.

Muhammad’s medical tests, including an MRI scan, were conducted at the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, but he was referred to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar to be treated by a neurosurgeon.

However, transporting him to Peshawar was another issue, said Akbar, a family member, since the administration was not unwilling to provide the hospital ambulance and asked to cover the fuel cost. Eventually, the District Superintendent of Police Amjad Khan donated money for the fuel and Mohammad was taken to the Lady Reading Hospital.

Akbar said when the situation in Peshawar was no different. “We were told to purchase even basic medical equipment such as syringes from outside the hospital and at our on expense. The hospital officials did no even care if he was injured in a terrorist attack, they refused to pay for anything,” he said.

“The child was a victim of a terrorist attack, yet he did not get any special treatment,” said Mahmood Rafiq, a local. “There was no government official or elected representative to ensure that the child was provided the required medical treatment,” he lamented.

“My husband wanted all of our children to be educated and become good citizens,” said Ali’s widow. “I want to fulfil his wishes but I can only do so with help from the government.” Unfortunately, the family has not been provided any compensation from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government.

Sub-divisional Magistrate Manzoor Ahmad told The Express Tribune that compensation cheques are distributed amongst the bereaved families by the department as soon as they are received by the office of the District Coordination Officer (DCO). “Once the DCO sends us the cheque, we will disburse the amount amongst the family immediately,” he said.

When contacted, the DCO assured he will talk to the senior officials of the K-P government regarding disbursement of the compensation money and forward it as soon as he is authorised.

Locals said that Ali was a kind man who always helped the needy. He voluntarily offered his services to the local peace committee to keep an eye on militants and ensure peace in his area.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2012.