Families of 37 Gulshan-e-Iqbal blast victims await PPP grant

Lahore: More than two years have passed, Pakistan People’s Party could not fulfil the promise of compensation made to the victims of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore, blast as 37 injured victims and the heirs to the deceased are still awaiting grant from the Sindh government.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the then Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah had visited Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, to inquired after the injured of the blast. On the occasion, Qaim Ali Shah had announced Rs0.3 million for each injured victim and Rs0.5 million for heir to the each deceased. In the blast in 2015, at least 74 people were killed and 340 injured.

The blast victim families alleged that they had been invited to Bilawal House in Lahore many times whenever top leadership of PPP visited Lahore and they were given banners and flags rather the compensation amount. They said they would raise slogans in favour of Bilawal and the PPP and return to homes without the compensation. The same amount was announced by the PML-N government which was provided to the heirs to the victims immediately.

Samuel Payara, a human rights activists and chairman of Implementation Minority Rights Forum Pakistan, claimed that he had held many meetings with the PPP‘s leadership for the grant. He said he met Sindh chief secretary and forme Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa and requested them for the grants PPP announced. He sad promise were made on every occasion by political bigwig of PPP. Unfortunately, the cheques have not be given to victim families so far, he added.

Chaudhry Manzor, central leader and spokesperson for the PPP said, cheques were distributed among the injured victims and heirs to the victims while the cheques to the remaining people would be distributed before Christmas. Cheques were delayed due to technical issue that has been resolved now, he added. Manzoor said it was not true that banners and flags were given to the heirs and they were asked to raise slogans in favour of the PPP and Bilawal. According to him, the amount was announced purely on humanitarian basis. The Sindh chief minister or other party leader will soon visit Lahore and distribute the cheques among them, he said.