ISLAMABAD: Expressing displeasure over an unnecessary delay of seven years in the payment of life insurance claim to a widow, President Dr Arif Alvi ordered the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) to pay the sum of Rs412,000, besides adding inflation cost/interest to the accrued amount.

He further directed SLICP to apologise to the widow and change its financial system attitude and report the compliance to the Federal Ombudsman within 30 days.

The president passed the order hile rejecting a representation of SLICP against the decision of the Federal Ombudsman and directed the insurance corporation to pay the claimants the assured amount without further delay, said a press release issued on Sunday.

Deceased Zahid Altaf Bhatti had obtained two life insurance policies from SLICP on July 6, 2007, and June 25, 2010, for Rs212,000 and Rs200,000, respectively. He died on March 20, 2015, and his wife, Fouzia Zahid Bhatti (the complainant), approached the State Life to pay the insurance claim but the corporation refused to pay the sum on the grounds that the deceased had pre-insurance ailments and he was a patient of liver disease/hepatitis-C.

Feeling aggrieved, Ms Fouzia filed a complaint with the ombudsman.

President Dr Arif Alvi also advised the corporation to change its financial system attitude.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2022