Rimpa Plaza attack: Surviving Christian goes to court

Sole Christian survivor of the 2002 Rimpa Plaza killings seeks financial compensation.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court directed the sole Christian survivor of the 2002 Rimpa Plaza killings to approach the proper forum to seek financial compensation.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Salman Hamid, disposed of a constitutional petition filed by Robin Zafar, who sought court direction for the administrator of a foreign missionary organisation Idara Aman-o-Insaf, to compensate him. The petitioner submitted in person that he had served the organisation as a librarian for seven years.

Seven Christians working with it were killed by militants who attacked the office on MA Jinnah Road on September 25, 2002. He submitted that he was shot in the head but had survived. The then CDGK administration had borne the expenses for his treatment, but the left side of his body was still paralysed. He is a 36-year-old university graduate but his life was ruined and the Idara Aaman-o-Insaf did not properly compensate him.

Father Pascal Robert appeared and submitted that the organisation had wound up its operations after the terrorist attack in 2002. He informed the court that the petitioner’s dues had already been cleared and he was also given Rs300,000 in medical aid. Now the organisation owed him nothing. Robin Zafar contended, however, that some dues were outstanding.

The SHC division bench ordered that, “In [the] circumstances, as this is a factual contrary, we would direct [the] petitioner to seek remedy before [the] proper forum. [The] petition is disposed of in foregoing terms.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2010.