PESHAWAR, Oct 9: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday sought details from the federal ministries of defence and finance regarding the compensation paid to around 60 families whose kin were killed in a bombing raid by Pakistan Air Force in 2010 in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth also directed the Fata Secretariat to submit the report compiled by a committee regarding the damages occurred during the said bombing incident which had left 61 persons killed and another 80 injured.

The petition is filed by Qabal Shah and several other inhabitants of the said area. Qabal Shah appeared in person and stated that jet fighters of PAF had bombed Sra Vella village in Tirah Valley on April 10, 2010. He stated that while the government had announced that compensation package would be provided to the legal heirs of the deceased and to the injured persons but instead only a meagre amount was given.

He stated that after the tragic incident the army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, made an apology for the deaths of the civilians during the military operation.

The petitioner stated that the government had also constituted a six-member committee for making assessment regarding the loss to life and property.

A standing counsel of the federal government submitted a reply on behalf of Wing Commander Irfan Ahmad, a representative of the ministry of defence, and stated that compensation was provided to the victims’ families.

The petitioner contended that the government had provided only a nominal amount which was not in accordance with the law. Moreover, he added that several houses were also destroyed for which no compensation was paid.

The chief justice observed that if the government had admitted that the persons were killed erroneously, then it should have paid the compensation in accordance with the diyyat amount as mentioned in the Pakistan Penal Code. The bench observed that the diyyat amount was specified each year by the federal government in the month of July.

The bench observed that it would be appropriate to examine the report of the committee which had made assessment of the damage. It was also directed that the ministries of finance and defence should provide complete details about how much compensation was paid to the affected families. The next date for hearing of the petition would be fixed later.