Sindh: Missing persons' families reject one-time compensation, demand monthly payments

Families of the missing persons had rejected the one-time compensation provided by the Sindh home department, according to petitioners' counsel at Sindh High Coury, adding that however, the families may consider monthly compensation.

The Sindh home department has sent a summary to the Chief Minister for giving one-time compensation to the families of victims of enforced disappearance, a provincial law officer told the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday.

According to The News International, filing comments on a petition against the enforced disappearance of citizens from different parts of the city, the law officer submitted that the home department had proposed Rs 500,000 in compensation to the families of missing persons to provide them financial assistance in view of their plight and court orders.

The high court had on a previous hearing directed the Sindh government to consider a compensation request in the provincial task force meeting to the families of missing persons whose cases had been declared as those of enforced disappearances.

The Sindh home secretary submitted that the provincial government had previously allowed a compensation of Rs 500,000 to each family of 25 missing persons in 2018 and the home department considered it appropriate to consider the compensation cases of the current petitioners on the same lines.

The department proposed in the summary that funds amounting to Rs 6,000,000 may be sanctioned for distribution among the families of missing persons at Rs 500,000 per family and placed at the disposal of the home department for disbursement to the closest nominated kin of families through the Karachi commissioner after his full satisfaction regarding the completion of all legal formalities, The News International reported.

The petitioners' counsel, however, contested the one-time grant and submitted that monthly compensation may be given to the families instead of a one-time compensation in line with an order of the Islamabad High Court which was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The provincial law officer undertook before the court that he would consult the issue with the relevant authorities and submit a report within two months.

( With inputs from ANI )

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor