Economic assistance for terror victims
There is a dire need on part of the government to ensure compensation to terror victims.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in conflict and terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Fata. In the ongoing upsurge of militancy, these two areas remain bruised and battered. Government institutions and the civilian population both have been targets of terrorism. Civilians in K-P and Fata have been mostly hit by the prolonged conflict in terms of the scale of civilian casualties. Since 2008, the number of terrorist attacks has risen manifold.
Data indicates that civilians bear the brunt of suicide attacks and other terrorist activities, such as bomb blasts, IED explosions, suicide attacks and targeted killings. According to a report submitted to the Peshawar High Court in March 2013, in the past five years, the number of civilians killed in terror-related incidents in K-P and Fata stood at 5,152. The number of civilians killed in terror incidents in K-P increased from 253 in 2007 to 501 in 2010. There is a dire need on part of the government to ensure compensation to these victims of terrorism and efficiently implement the compensation policy in letter and spirit.
The scale and the scope of the threat posed to the civilian population calls for multiple actions, including the establishment of a formal legal regime to respond to an array of incidents instantly and a special fund under statutory provisions for the victims and their families, especially those suffering disabilities and from the loss of livelihood. The grim situation underlines the need for setting up of a fund under a specific legislation — a fund which is an independent legal entity, put in place through an executive order.
On October 10, 2013, after the devastating bomb attack on Peshawar’s All Saints Church, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced a special trust fund of Rs200 million to rehabilitate survivors and relatives of those affected by the incident. This sets a precedent and underscores the importance for launching a permanent fund for the victims. The model draft rules have been articulated with the realisation that there are multiple policy choices available with the provincial and federal governments for the establishment of a fund for a large number of civilian victims. Whichever policy choice is made, the proposed set of rules will be of great assistance in fulfilling the desired objectives of lending effective support to terror victims.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2013.
Data indicates that civilians bear the brunt of suicide attacks and other terrorist activities, such as bomb blasts, IED explosions, suicide attacks and targeted killings. According to a report submitted to the Peshawar High Court in March 2013, in the past five years, the number of civilians killed in terror-related incidents in K-P and Fata stood at 5,152. The number of civilians killed in terror incidents in K-P increased from 253 in 2007 to 501 in 2010. There is a dire need on part of the government to ensure compensation to these victims of terrorism and efficiently implement the compensation policy in letter and spirit.
The scale and the scope of the threat posed to the civilian population calls for multiple actions, including the establishment of a formal legal regime to respond to an array of incidents instantly and a special fund under statutory provisions for the victims and their families, especially those suffering disabilities and from the loss of livelihood. The grim situation underlines the need for setting up of a fund under a specific legislation — a fund which is an independent legal entity, put in place through an executive order.
On October 10, 2013, after the devastating bomb attack on Peshawar’s All Saints Church, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced a special trust fund of Rs200 million to rehabilitate survivors and relatives of those affected by the incident. This sets a precedent and underscores the importance for launching a permanent fund for the victims. The model draft rules have been articulated with the realisation that there are multiple policy choices available with the provincial and federal governments for the establishment of a fund for a large number of civilian victims. Whichever policy choice is made, the proposed set of rules will be of great assistance in fulfilling the desired objectives of lending effective support to terror victims.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2013.