Helping hand: K-P CM announces compensation for blast victims

Says civilians will not be left at the mercy of terrorists.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has announced compensation for the policemen and civilians killed and injured in the Charsadda and Badhaber blasts under the Shuhada package. He directed the relevant officials to make immediate payments to the victims and their heirs.

According to an official handout, Khattak expressed sympathies with the affected families, and assured that innocent civilians would not be left at the mercy of terrorists.

Condoling with the victims of the “cowardly act of terror”, the chief minister said the resurfacing of incidents of terrorism is a matter of grave concern. He said the police force and civil administration will have to work twice as hard to prevent terror incidents. He said under the Shuhada package, heirs of each deceased civilian will be paid Rs0.5 million while the injured will get Rs0.2 million. The heirs of each martyred policeman, besides getting Rs3 million in cash, will receive salaries for 60 years of their service, free health and education for their children, pension, residential plot and recruitment of one family member in the police force. Similarly, each injured police personnel, besides receiving free treatment, will be paid compensation of Rs0.1 million.

Khattak paid tributes to the police force for rendering sacrifices to protect the lives of people and hoped the force will come up to the expectations of people under the prevailing circumstances.

He directed the police and civil administration for bringing immediate changes in their security strategies and putting all security agencies on red alert.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2014.