PHC orders govt to pay diyat to family in one month

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the federal government to pay diyat (blood money) to legal heirs of six members of a family including minors killed in the 2014 Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bombing of Tirah valley, Khyber Agency.

A division bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Muhammad Nasir Mehfooz directed the federal government to pay diyat amount to the petitioner within a month. His all family members, including his wife, three sons and two daughters were killed in the PAF shelling in the area during operation against militants.

Justice Qaiser Rahid Khan observed that the killing of the innocent citizens amounted to unintentional murder and under Section 320 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the state was to pay diyat, which totaled over one million rupees at that time.

Khan Wali Kukikhel, a tribesman, had filed the writ petition in high court through his lawyers Imad Anjum Durrani and Hashim Khan Mengal. He sought diyat amount for the death of his wife, Lal Ghuncha, three sons, including 10-year-old Bagh Wali, five-year-old Hazrat Wali, three-year-old Niaz Wali, two daughters including 12 year-old Shah Qoba and eight-year-old Nazia.

He made federal government through Ministry of Interior and Defence, Finance Minister, secretary Safron, Additional Chief Secretary Fata and Political Agent Khyber Agency as respondents.