Terrorism and targeted killings: Families of victims should not have to beg for assistance: CJ Alam

Welfare departments, others directed to workout standard operating procedures.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the provincial home and welfare departments as well as Baitul Mal to workout standard operating procedures to provide assistance to the families of the victims of terrorism and targeted killings.

“It is desirable that these families should not have to beg the government or other public functionaries,” observed SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam, who headed the beach that was hearing the plea seeking assistance for the families of the missing persons.

“It is the social and legal responsibility of the Government of Pakistan as well as the Government of Sindh to protect the life and liberty of any citizen and on failure to protect the lives and liberty of citizens, the government is vicariously liable to provide shelter and some minimum financial assistance so that the education and day to day expenses of victims’ families are met honourably and respectively,” said Justice Alam.

The bench was hearing a petition seeking direction for the federal interior ministry, the provincial departments for home, social welfare affairs and others concerned to extend financial and other types of assistance to the families of hundreds of citizens who have been missing for years.

On the last date of hearing, the bench had directed multiple provincial departments, including social welfare, Zakat and Usher, and Baitul Mal, to help these families by extending financial assistance to them.

On Tuesday, additional advocate general Miran Muhammad Shah told the court that the provincial government, through its social welfare department and Baitul Mal, was providing assistance to the families of the victims who have lost their lives in acts of terrorism and targeted killings.

The bench ordered the home and welfare departments and Baitul Mal to workout standard operating procedures to provide assistance to the families of such victims. The matter will be taken up for hearing on August 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2013.