April 22, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 04, 1428

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MANSEHRA, April 21: An earthquake victim has not yet received any compensation money from the government and is living a life of misery in the tent village of Jabba.

"I lost everything: three children, a house and all my belongings in the October 2005 earthquake. I took refuge in the Jabba tent village, but the government instead of paying me compensation has asked me to vacate the tent village," Meirun Nisa, hailing from the Ghanool Battiyan village in Balakot, said.

Ms Nisa had lost 11-year old Asia, 9-year old Muhammad Asif and 3-year old Muhammad Ajmal in the quake. She was later airlifted to the Jabba tent village along with her husband Akhtar Zaman, and one-year old son.

She told Dawn that despite repeated efforts she had not received any compensation due to hindrances created by certain influential people in her village.

“The administration hasn’t provided any rations to the camp in the last two months and now they are giving us an ultimatum to vacate the tent village by April 30," she said, adding that most of the displaced families in the shelter could not go back to their hometowns as they were still dangerous to live in.

She said the government had announced Rs75,000 compensation for all such families but many still hadn’t received any funds.

She said the government should first pay the promised amount to families and then ask them to vacate the shelter.