PESHAWAR, Jan 23: Govern-ment has not paid compensation to all victims of the military operation in the South Waziristan Agency during 2004, sources said.

After a peace deal with militants, the government had decided to pay compensation for casualties, physical injuries and property damages.

An official told Dawn that an amount of Rs55 million, out of Rs280 million, had been paid to victims. “We have reminded the federal ministry of State and Frontier Regions (Safron) and military authorities to release the promised compensation amount but no one is paying heed to the matter”, he said.

Official sources said that about 120 people, including women and children, who had died in various military operations in the agency in the year 2004 had not been compensated.

The army conducted about 35 operations to eliminate militants and destroy their hideouts from South Waziristan Agency in 2004. Security forces used artillery, air force and Gunship helicopters in these operations which led to huge damages.

“One of the reason behind prevailing lawlessness in the area is non payment of compensation”, said an official.

The sources said that initially the government had announced to pay Rs500,000 for each dead, Rs200,000 to each seriously injured person and Rs75,000 per person for minor injuries.

Later the concerned authorities and the NWFP governor’s Fata secretariat reduced size of the compensation amount.