Unrest: Balochistan promises compensation for heirs of victims

Relatives of those killed or injured in attacks will receive monthly stipends.

ISLAMABAD:


A welfare scheme is to be introduced on Supreme Court directives for families of those who have been killed in attacks in Balochistan, said an official from the provincial government.


The families of the victims will be given financial compensation of Rs800,000, followed by a monthly stipend of Rs7,000. However, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani had promised a sum of Rs100,000 to victims’ families at a news conference last month.

According to the official, the provincial government has reserved a special fund for the compensation. Special committees, formed under the divisional commissioners of each administrative division, are to determine the number of mutilated, decomposed or bullet riddled bodies recovered in the province over the last few years. The committees have been directed to complete this task within two months.

There seems, however, to be discord on the exact number of bodies recovered in the province during the last four years. While the official claimed that the total number of such bodies is 80, nationalist groups claim that 300 such bodies have been found.


As per the current policy, families of those people who lost their lives in any other act of terrorism are entitled to get Rs400,000, while those injured are to receive Rs 100,000.

In future, families of people who lose their lives in suicide bombings, target killing and other acts of terrorism would be paid Rs800,000, while those injured will receive Rs 200,000 in compensation, said the official.

Furthermore, officials of law enforcement agencies attacked by miscreants are entitled to Rs2 million compensation, while the wounded receive Rs500,000. Officials with minor injuries will receive Rs100,000.

Furthermore, the official made it clear that families of missing persons in the province will not be able to benefit from the scheme.

Vice President of the Baloch National Party Mengal wing Sajid Tareen said that the provincial government should also provide financial compensation to families of missing persons.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2012.
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