SC asks teleco to compensate heirs of slain labourers

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday sought from cellular company Ufone a complete financial package as compensation to the legal heirs of six labourers who were killed while fixing the company's cellphone tower in Liji area in Balochistan's Kharan district on May 3.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Umar Atta Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan made this verdict on a suo motu case. On May 5, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took notice of killing of six labourers hailing from Okara who were fixing a Ufone tower in Liji, district Kharan. The chief justice had issued notice to chief secretary and inspector general police Balochistan and had fixed the matter for hearing on May 11 at the Supreme Court Quetta Registry.

The chief justice on May 11 had regretted that no security was provided to the workers. He was told by the home secretary that the cellular company’s contractor had neither applied for a no-objection certificate nor asked the government to provide security to the workers.

On Wednesday, the counsel for the cellular company informed the court that the widows of three of the labourers would be given Rs20,000 per month and the company would pay for the educational expenses for their children. The counsel further submitted that the legal heirs of the slain labourers will also receive Rs1 million.

To a court query regarding the labourer injured in the attack, the counsel said he had been moved to a hospital in Lahore for treatment. During the hearing, the court inquired about measures being taken by the Punjab and Balochistan governments for the families of labourers who lost their lives in the attack.

Additional advocate general Balochistan replied that he will inform the court after inquiring about the provincial policy regarding compensation grant to the legal heirs of the labourers. The court adjourned the hearing for today (Thursday).