ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) has directed Attorney General (AG)
that decision on payment of compensation to legal heirs of forces
personnel and civilians be reviewed, massive gap in amount of
compensation be bridged and a report in this respect be presented to it
on next hearing.
A 3-member bench of SC presided over by the
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issued these
directives during the course of hearing of Balochistan Target Killing
case here Tuesday.
Attorney General and Additional Advocate General Balochistan (AAGB) Azam Khattak appeared before the court.
On
inquiring by the court AAGB told legal heirs of army, FC and levies
personnel who die during the performance of duty are paid Rs 20 lac
each while Rs 4 lac each is paid to legal heirs of a civilian in the
event of his death.
CJP while expressing wonder over massive
difference in compensation money remarked “ it should not be done so.
Both are human beings. If a common man is not human being.”.
He inquired from AG “ why such gap existed in the amount of compensation. . If the blood of both is not the same.
Justice
Sair Ali remarked “ you have divided them into two classes. One is of
common man and the second of elite. You have made such a train of dead
bodies wherein first class, second class and third class have been
partitioned.
Reciting verse of Surah Bani Israel CJP said “ it
was said therein that no one be killed unjustly. If is happens so then
the “Qasas in full be paid. Murder of human being shakes heaven. Unjust
killing of any one was tyranny.
Regarding payment of
compensation he remarked the amount of compensation could be higher to
some extent in respect of those who die during performance of duty but
there should be no such big gap as is existing at present.
Court
directed the AG to review the decision about payment of compensation
and present the report in this connection on next hearing.
CJP
said “what information has been ascertained about the 180 dead bodies.
If any information has been collected about their legal heirs. If any
case has been registered or otherwise in this regard. Cases are
instituted against unknown persons and later people are involved as per
their free will.
The court ordered details about the victims be
presented to it. The court also ordered that steps be geared up for
recovery of lawyers.
About Kharotabad incident CJP said as per media report commission had presented the report in this respect.
The court directed that a copy of the report about Kharotabad incident be also provided to it in case it is made public.
The court has adjourned the hearing for further three weeks. Online
