Compensation: Release funds to heirs of slain FATA security officials, PHC orders

Gives government 20 days to pay up.

PESHAWAR:

Peshawar High Court (PHC) has ordered finance division secretary to release funds to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Secretariat to compensate heirs of slain security officials within 20 days.

These orders were issued by a PHC division bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qaisar after hearing multiple writ petitions.

During the case hearing, Deputy Attorney General Muzammil Khan produced before the court a letter from the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions, stating that the data of all those claiming the package was incomplete terming it the reason for delay in release of funds.

The letter said that the basic information on the slain officials including their names and localities must be communicated to the ministry. But since the information was missing, the funds cannot be released.

However, section officer budget and accounts, an official of the FATA Secretariat present during the case hearing, objected and produced before the court a detailed list of all the relevant information already shared with the ministry.

The bench observed that the finance division was not performing duties accordingly and disgracing those who have laid down their lives to defend the nation, adding the secretary finance was served with a contempt petition which was later withdrawn upon his assurance that funds will be released. The bench ordered the finance division secretary to release the funds within 20 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.