Airblue plane crash: Ministry asked to complete payment of compensation within four weeks

The National Standing Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Defence to complete payment of compensation within four weeks to all the legal heirs of passengers who had died in the crash of Airblue aircraft. The Committee directed that the Airblue administration should also be taken on board in this matter.
The Committee asked the authorities to fix responsibility and then follow it up with action against those who were found guilty. The meeting was chaired by Riaz Fatyana, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights. The Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority in a report submitted to the Committee said that Rs 5 00 000 had been paid to 136 legal heirs of victims of the air crash.
He said, so far applications of 65 cases have been received by the Ministry of Defence. He said among these cases amount in compensation has been disbursed among the legal hires of approximately forty victims during the current financial year. He told the committee that the remaining cases are pending because their legal documents have not been completed as yet.
Airblue is paying the following two types of compensation amount to legal heirs of the victims: - Interim condolence payment (ICP): Rs 550,000 in each case Final Compensation payment (FCP): Rs 5,000,000 in each case. He said a total of (136) ICP and (53) FCP cases have been cleared. He said the remaining cases will be cleared on receipt of succession certificate from legal heirs of the Airblue crash victims.
The Committee directed the authorities to examine the scheme of Auto- landing and the counters set up for Parliamentarians at airports should be discontinued and these rather be put to use for the disabled persons. Facilities for rest etc should be provided to all transit passengers at all airports of Pakistan.
The Committee while commenting on the report of five persons killed in Khroatabad, Quetta on May 17, expressed its dissatisfaction with the statements of Police and advised the concerned Inspector General Police to fairly probe the case . Ministry of Foreign Affairs was advised to obtain history and complete details about all the five Chechens who were killed on that day.
A Sub-Committee comprising Farahnaz Isphani, Captain Muhammad Safdar, Rubina Saadat Qaim Khani, Dr Attiya Inayatullah and Mustafa Khokhar, advisor to PM Ministry on Human Rights and . Shafique Chuhadary, Executive Director PCHR was constituted on the occasion. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Russia/Chechnya, Ministry of Interior and Inspector General Police of Balochistan would assist the sub Committee.
About the report on Gojra incident dated 01-08-2009, the Committee was informed that as recommended by the Judicial Commission action against police officials has been taken. Action against DCO and DPO would be taken by the Established Division.
The Committee while discussing the murder of journalist Saleem Shehzad was informed that his body was found in the area of Head Rasool, District Mandi Bahauddin. A case FIR No, 192 dated 30-05-2011 US/302 PS Secretary District, Mundi Bahauddin has been registered and the investigation is now in progress. It was brought to the notice of the Committee that statements of 29 persons have been recorded in the case pertaining to the murder of two brothers at Sialkot. The case is presently pending in the Anti-Terrorist Court.
The Chief Secretary explained the position on the progress attained with reference to Abbottabad case dated 12-06-2010. The Committee constituted a Fact Finding Committee under Chairperson of Ms Fauzia Habib, Mrs Sumaira Yasir Rasheed, Mrs, Raheela Baluch, and Mrs Samina Mushtaq Pugganwala will be its members.
Kamran Arif, HRCP and Chaudhry Shafique, Secretary Ministry of Human Rights and Commissioner Hazara will assist the Committee, The Fact Finding Committee will also meet the relatives of victims and President Bar Association and furnish report within one month. The Inspector General of Police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was directed to hold departmental inquiry into the matter and furnish report of his findings to the Committee.