Security men: uniform compensation policy planned

The federal government wants to carve out a uniform compensation policy for families of all law enforcement agencies personnel battling to crush militancy and terrorism across Pakistan. As many as 878 persons have been martyred including 232 security personnel and 646 civilians in 1,017 terror incidents in last six months across the country.
While responding to a supplementary question in the National Assembly on Friday, Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also wanted to discuss the issues pertaining to finances and law and order with all chief ministers. "Our security agencies are capable enough to deal with all the challenges, provided they are given incentives and desired support," he said. The Interior Minister informed the House that the federal government wanted to see all the provinces on the same page for chalking out a uniform compensation policy for the personnel of law enforcement agencies.
"The prime minister will soon call a meeting of all the chief ministers to discuss the issues pertaining to law and order and formulate a uniform compensation policy for victims of militancy," he said, adding he would represent the federal government in the meeting to brief the participants on the law and order. The minister revealed that provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not pay any compensation to Frontier Constabulary personnel who embraced martyrdom after 2012.
"It is unfortunate that each province has its own compensation policy and that too is not being implemented in letter and spirit," he said, adding he was shocked to know during his visit to the FC headquarters in Peshawar that no compensation was paid to families of the FC personnel after 2012.
The minister said the federal government would give compensation to the FC personnel who died in 2012 in the wake of terror and suicide attacks. "The federal government will also announce an improved compensation package for 218 FC personnel who are disabled in different militant attacks," he said. Family of FC personnel who embraces martyrdom in FATA is given a compensation of only Rs 500,000, while family of a constable in Punjab is awarded Rs 3 million as compensation, he said. "Punjab is quick and responsive to the compensation matters; so other provinces should follow the province," he suggested.
Under the NFC award, he said the provinces would get an additional amount of Rs 91 billion that year that should be spent on the security matters in addition to other sectors. "The federal government has approved a compensation package for victims of the militancy," the minister said but did not elaborate the package. A Jamaat-i-Islami member Tariqullah lauded intention of the Interior Minister for struggling to bring a uniform compensation policy for the security personnel, and said the incentive announced by the federal government would also help boost morale of the FC personnel.