PESHAWAR, Sept 13: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday served notice on the NWFP advocate-general in a case regarding non-payment of compensation to victims of a suicide attack.The court also asked the provincial government to file comments on the case within a fortnight.

PHC Chief Justice Tariq Pervez Khan had taken suo motu notice of the issue over an application filed by the Citizens Welfare Foundation, converting its application into a petition. Twenty-five people were killed and 35 injured in the May 15 blast at a restaurant in the city.

The provincial government had announced that Rs100,000 would be paid to each legal heir of the deceased, Rs50,000 to each person receiving severe injuries and Rs25,000 to each slightly injured person.

Following complaints from the affected people, the Citizens Welfare Foundation filed an application seeking compensation for the victims and punitive action against authorities responsible for delay in payment of compensation amounts.

On Thursday, a two-member PHC bench comprising Chief Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Qaim Jan Khan initiated preliminary hearings in the case.

The chief justice said that instead of spending money for the welfare of people, the government had been wasting funds on publicity.

Millions of rupees had been spent on unnecessary advertisements, he pointed out. People had been deprived of their due rights and the taxpayers’ money had been used for “publishing pictures and names” of the rulers, he added.