PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday summoned the provincial finance and health secretaries for flouting its orders to pay compensation to the family of a female polio worker killed by terrorists.

Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Mussarat Hilali ordered the two secretaries to appear before the court tomorrow (Thursday) and produce the compensation cheque for the family of Sumbal Bibi and warned if the orders weren’t complied with, then they would be indicted for committing contempt of the court.

Sumbal Bibi and her colleague, Sharafat Bibi, were attacked by armed terrorists in Badabher area in May 2013 during an anti-polio campaign. Sharafat died of bullet injuries on the spot, while Sumbal Bibi remained in coma for 10 days before passing away.

Asim Khan, lawyer for Sumbal’s father Gul Khan, said the polio worker was martyred on duty but even then, the government was reluctant to provide her family the due compensation.

He said the high court had ordered the payment of Rs700,000 compensation to the slain polio worker’s family but the government was reluctant to do so.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2019