Compensation: PHC orders FATA officials to explain non-compliance of orders

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday summoned additional chief secretary and finance secretary of Fata Secretariat to appear in person and explain why they had failed to compensate the a man whose truck was set on fire by militants in 2007.

The order was issued by division bench of Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan.

Advocate Shah Hussain, counsel for petitioner Haji Pokhtoon, had brought to the court's notice that his client's truck had been set on fire by militants.

He said that his client was transporting goods including medicines, cloth and dry fruits worth Rs5.2 million to Parachinar, Kurram Agency when his truck was ambushed and burnt.

Hussain further said that his client had claimed Rs3.2 million in damages and had filed an application to the relevant office. He added that the court ordered the Fata Secretariat officials to release the compensation amount but the relevant office did not comply with the court order.

Instead, the officials offered only Rs0.3 million to the truck owner. The offer was declined.

The counsel of the Fata Secretariat, Iqbal Durrani, explained to the bench that the case was related to the federal government and the affected person had approached Fata Secretariat just to get compensation.

The counsel said that according to compensation policy introduced last year, only Rs0.3 million could be given to the affectee but he had refused to accept it.

The bench noted that in the case, the officials were not following the court's order in clear contempt of the court.

It ordered that additional Fata chief secretary and finance secretary of the secretariat should appear in person on the next date of hearing, scheduled for February 19, to explain why they were not following the order.

It may be mentioned here that on August 18, 2013 a division bench of Justice Malik Manzoor Hussain and Justice Ikramullah Khan had also summoned these officials to explain the same matter.