Govt’s insurance scheme: Terror victims not part of coverage

Only victims of rail, road accidents declared eligible.

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has ignored the growing number of terror victims in its planned public insurance scheme under the flagship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Tahuffaz Scheme, which will be launched on July 1.

The scheme will be launched through State Life Insurance aimed at covering all Pakistani national residents aged between 25 and 60 years in case of death in road or rail accidents only. However, the policy will not cover those who lose their lives in violence and terrorism.

According to a working paper prepared by the commerce ministry, the public insurance policy will cover the deaths resulting from accidents by providing Rs100,000 to each victim.

The premium would be payable annually in advance by the federal government to State Life.

According to the documents provided by the commerce ministry to the Senate secretariat, the total cost of the scheme would be Rs2.12 billion and would be subject to annual review.

To be eligible under the scheme, death should result from an accident occurring in Pakistan only or occurring within 90 days after an injury caused by a violent accident.

Deaths caused directly or indirectly by declared or undeclared war – such as conflicts, invasions, civil wars, strikes, riots, civil commotion or insurrection – or as a result of nuclear fission, fusion or radioactivity are not covered.

Beneficiaries of the scheme

State Life will pay the benefits to the legal heirs of the deceased when the rightful claimants lodge a claim under the scheme not more than 120 days after the accidental death of the covered person.

Claimants are expected to fill the claim form and submit it to the nearest area office of State Life. These area offices are situated all over the country.

The claim form needs to be verified by any of the following persons: member of the Senate, National Assembly or provincial assembly, local councillor, and BPS-17 or above-ranked government officers.

Meanwhile, a police FIR would be required and once a claim has been lodged, the beneficiary would be required to submit all supporting documents for the claim to the satisfaction of State Life within six months of the date of initial intimation of claim.

If the families fail to do so, the claim would be treated as cancelled ab initio and State Life would not accept any liability.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2014.