Kallar Kahar bus accident: deceased schoolchildren's heirs paid Rs 0.7 million by Punjab government, Supreme Court told

The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday that Punjab government has paid Rs 0.7 million to the legal heirs of the deceased students as compensation, who died in Kallar Kahar bus accident.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing a human right case, wherein Syed Muhammad Tariq Shah had filed an application for action on an unfortunate bus accident, near Kallar Kahar Mountain Range Mountain Range.
On September 26, 2011, a school bus, carrying 35 people, including 30 students of the Millat Grammar School, Faisalabad overturned on the motorway near Kallar Kahar Mountain Range and all the students lost their lives. Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq appeared before the bench on the court notice, whereas Prosecutor General Punjab Ashtar Ausaf Ali Khan, Abid Javed, DG Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab and other officers of Motorway Police also appeared before the Court.
Prosecutor General Punjab informed the bench that the provincial government had already paid Rs 200,000 to the legal heirs of the deceased schoolchildren whereas compensation cheques have also been issued amounting to Rs 0.5 million to the heirs. The chief justice observed that relevant officials of the concerned department should examine the public transport fitness physically rather than approving the matter in their offices.
The CJP observed that if any public carrier/bus was not fit for plying on the road, its fitness certificate should be cancelled under the light of Motor Vehicle Ordinance. A member of the bench Justice Khilji observed that there was no place for an honest man in this society because corruption had become a fashion, adding that issuing fitness certificates to public transport without physical inspection was the major cause of road accidents.
On the occasion, some of the legal heirs of the deceased school children appeared before the court, saying that cheques issued to them of Rs 0.5 million could not be encashed due to non-availability of funds upon which the PG undertook to ensure payments to the applicants within the next three days.
Ashtar Ausaf apprised the bench that on examination, fitness certificates of 4,826 vehicles were cancelled in the province so far and these vehicles were off-road presently, however, he submitted that the drive to check public transport would continue in future.
The DG Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab also presented a report before the bench and said that cases were registered against the Motor Vehicle Examiners, who were allegedly involved in issuing the fitness certificate to the vehicle which were not roadworthy. The bench was also informed that owner of the vehicle that met with the accident was arrested and criminal action was being initiated against him.
Attorney General for Pakistan told the court that action had been taken against the three officials of the Motorways Police namely Amir Nawaz (SPO), Zahid Maqbool (PO) and Mustajab Hussain (photographer), and they have been removed from service whereas disciplinary proceedings were underway against DSP/CPO Fazal Mehmood Haideri.
AGP further said that he would take up the matter with the competent authority of the Federal Government for awarding compensation to the heirs of the deceased schoolchildren, and if succeeded he would communicate the same to the Registrar office. The chief justice observed that since the law had taken its course, no further proceedings were required to be drawn in the matter and disposed of the case.