Victims of timber market inferno demand compensation

WANA: Victims of an inferno at a timber market in Lower South Waziristan district have been moving from pillar to post for compensation for the last two years, but to no avail so far.

Rehman Ullah Wazir, a victim of Wana timber market fire, said that two years ago, the market suffered a loss worth millions of rupees due to a fire at night, but added that no financial support had been provided to the victims despite repeated assurances from the district administration and other government officials.

He said that the district administration had already compiled a report on the losses. The victims said former MPA Naseer Ullah Khan Wazir and the present MNA Ali Wazir, were also aware of the issue.

Pakistan People’s Party Lower South Waziristan President Aman Ullah Wazir said they had raised the issue with authorities, but no one listened to them.

Meanwhile, PDMA district coordinator Syed Umar Mehsud said that the Authority’s Relief Compensation Act of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not have any scope for damages or compensation for goods and property destroyed by fire. He said the PDM Act provided compensation only for death or injury.

Two years ago, two fires broke out in the Wana timber market for unknown reasons. Some affected persons complained that authorities had not processed their cases for compensation for the losses.

Rehman Ullah Wazir said that the Wana timber market committee had also compiled a report on the losses and placed it before the federal and provincial governments, as well as the district authorities.