OKARA: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has approved Rs9.5 million compensation for the victims of the February 2018 terrorist attack in Kharan district of Balochistan and ordered the two employer companies to pay Rs20,000 per month to each of the six families for the next three years.

About 11 months back, labourers Mazhar, Shahzad Ali, Riaz, Waqas, Fakhar Rafique and Amant Ali of Okara village Kikriwala were killed during the terror attack.

The workers were asleep at the [mobile phone tower] construction site when the incident took place. Another labourer Faryad Husain of village 49/2-L (Okara) suffered injuries.

After this act of terrorism, CJP Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of the incident as a case of human rights. After the proceedings, the CJP ordered the two companies to pay compensation worth Rs9.5m.

The family of each of the six deceased will get Rs1.5m. A sum of Rs0.5m will be given to injured Faryad Husain. The district and sessions judge received two cheques from the companies.

A cheque issued by one firm had some error and the judge returned it for correction with a letter to the Kharan deputy commissioner and a copy of it was also sent to the Okara DC and set Jan 15, 2019, deadline for receipt of the cheque at the court.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2019