Court summons officials for not compensating slain LHW family

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday summoned secretary health and secretary finance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for framing charge on May 16 for not paying compensation to the legal heirs of a Lady Health Worker (LHW) martyred during the polio duty.

A division bench headed by Justice Ikramullah Khan expressed displeasure over the attitude of the government officials with the legal heirs of the martyred LHW.

The bench observed that the LHW laid down her life for a cause but the babus (secretaries) are creating hurdles in handing over a cheque for Rs700,000 to the legal heirs of the LHW, a compensation amount announced by the government in 2013.

Muhammad Asim, counsel for the petitioner, submitted before the bench that LHW Sunbal Bibi was martyred by miscreants in 2013 during her polio duty. He submitted that the government then announced Rs700,000 compensation for her legal heirs, but the compensation was not paid even after six years.