KOHAT, Oct 11: A provincial government committee, comprising Additional Home Secretary Muzaffar Khan and Director of Civil Defence department Noor Ali Khan, is investigating into complaints of injudicious distribution of compensation among traders for losses incurred in the Hangu sectarian strife.
The committee has been asked to look into similar grievances of the families of people who were killed or injured in a suicide bomb blast in Hangu.
In March, 46 people were killed and 181 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up during a procession of mourners. Violance erupted in the area after the bombing.
The families of those who perished in the blast and violence have asked the government to pay Rs500,000 for each deceased as had been done in the case of the Karachi suicide bomb blast. They have criticised the federal government for showing double standards for the people of two cities of the same country.
The 181 injured have also appealed for more compensation.
“The government should treat all the citizens equally. We see that martyrs of attacks on the prime minister and the president are paid in millions, jobs are promised to their kin and they are allotted land. Are common citizens lesser human or are there any doubts about their loyalty to the country?” said Tehrik-i-Jafria secretary-general Syed Mazhar Ali.
Most of the of 830 shop owners whose property was destroyed during riots following the blast have filed review applications, complaining that the government had paid millions of rupees to those who had submitted fake figures while those who actually suffered big losses were given less amount.
The government has compensated 610 out of the 830 shop owners. The cases of the 220 remaining shopkeepers are under process.
The provincial government, which expressed inability to pay for all the losses, has contributed Rs80.70 million and the federal government granted Rs130.30 million as its share in the compensation funds.
The district nazim and the bazaar union have estimated losses to the tune of Rs1.5 billion and asked the government to ensure payment according to their estimates.
However after a lengthy controversy, the people agreed to accept the compensation according to government estimates.