PESHAWAR: The widow of a senior civil judge, who had died of coronavirus last year, has moved the Peshawar High Court seeking orders for the government to give her compensation under the Shuhada Package and a job.

Fatima Kiyani, widow of senior civil judge Seemab Waheed Siddique, has filed a petition with the high court for the grant of the Shuhada Package to her family saying her husband had lost his life in the line of duty while serving in Buner district.

The petition is filed through senior lawyer Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel.

The petitioner contended that like medical workers, judicial officers risked their lives to serve the people amid the raging coronavirus pandemic.

She said that when health professionals had been provided with the Shuhada Package compensation, then why it should be denied to the judicial officers, who had selflessly performed during the pandemic.

Moves PHC after death of husband due to Covid

The petitioner pleaded that the deceased senior civil judge was infected while on duty in Buner, whereas he belonged to Peshawar and thereafter lost his life in July 2021.

She said that the chief justice had earlier announced that the Shuhada Package would be provided to the families of the judges, who would die of Covid-19 in the line of duty.

Ms Fatima, however, said that the finance department didn’t grant her that package.

She complained that she, too, was a lawyer and was denied service in the pay scale of her husband or in accordance with her educational qualifications under the government’s spouse policy.

The petitioner said that her husband’s death had left her and her two minor children to the mercy of the Almighty Allah.

She said that the Shuhada Package compensation was the only ray of hope for her and her children since it included support for education and healthcare along with salary and accommodation, which the government owed to the deceased and his family since her husband had lost life serving the people.

The petitioner requested the court to order the provincial government to give the Shuhada Package to her and her family and employment in the pay scale of her husband or in line with her education.

BAIL REJECTED: An additional district and sessions judge has rejected the bail petition of a a man arrested on the charge of smuggling crystal meth (ice drug) in a rickshaw.

Judge Mohammad Tayyab ruled that the petitioner, Roohul Ameen, a resident of Nowshera, didn’t deserve to be set free on bail.

The suspect was arrested a few days ago while driving a rickshaw in the jurisdiction of the Badabher police station.

The police had claimed they had recovered one kilogramme of crystal meth from secret cavities of the rickshaw. The driver was booked under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substance Act.

The state prosecutor contended that the rickshaw driver was caught red-handed while smuggling contraband, which was a heinous offence, so he was not entitled to the concession of bail under the law.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2022