No compensation: IHC seeks reply from Bhoja Air chief

Bereaved families approach court two years after crash.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued a notice to the chief of Bhoja Air for failing to pay compensation to families of passengers who died in a crash two years ago.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan sought a reply from Bhoja Air Chairman Farook Omar Bhoja by the next date of hearing in response to a petition filed by three families who lost relatives in the air crash. The date is to be fixed later by the registrar’s office. The petition was filed by family members of the passengers, who perished in the crash.

The petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Farooq Adam Khan argued that according to Pakistan Carriage by Air Act 2012, the company was bound to give Rs5 million to each passenger’s family. “Despite a lapse of two years, the airline has yet to pay compensation.” On April 20, 2012, Bhoja Air flight 213 crashed in the outskirts of Islamabad, killing all 127 passengers and crew members.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that Bhoja Air was bound to compensate the families even if the airline was not at fault. He requested the court to direct its chairman to pay compensation to the bereaved families.

The judicial commission constituted to probe the Bhoja Air crash will submit its report to Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on May 15. Seven victims’ families had filed petitions with the IHC in September 2012 for an independent inquiry into the incident. In July 2013, Justice Siddiqui formed the three-member commission which concluded its proceedings in the last week of April.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2014.