ID :
193050
Tue, 07/05/2011 - 17:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/193050
The shortlink copeid
Desperate Gulf war affectees still await compensation despite SC suo-moto notice
ISLAMABAD, July 05, 2011 (PPI): The victims of Kuwait-Iraq war continued hunger strike till death in front National Press Club against Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), for not distributing fair compensation to the affectees and until receive the written response from the United Nations. They also appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take notice against OPF officials for their reluctance in payment of their dues.
They raised slogans against the administration of OPF and demanded their compensation, which was not paid to them for the last 18 years.
Talking to PPI, Chairman Kuwait-Iraq War Affectees Action Committee Iftikhar Qureshi warned that they would stage countrywide protest if not compensated in next few days.
Now, he alleged that in accordance with claims of the action committee, the compensation were not distributed fairly by the OPF as originally planned. The committee has also filed a lawsuit case with the Supreme Court pending from last two years. “SC hears high-profile cases on daily basis but our case is pending till now”, he complained.
He appealed CJP to dispose off their case at earliest so that awaited affectees could formulate future strategy for themselves. “we can’t let OPF to snatch our due rights”, he said while expressing resolve to his two decades long struggle.
Qureshi said since 1991, as many as 96,670 affectees were still waiting for their compensation as United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) had given OPF a fairly huge amount for each affectee which has not be paid, he alleged. He further accused that OPF wanted to pay only Rs. 100,000 instead of paying actual compensation to war affectees. Commenting on government assurances, he said that government had given a deadline of 45 days to resolve the issue that was over on April 21, 2009, but so far nothing proceeded in this regard.
“OPF officials wanted to put this matter into labyrinth for their face saving,” he said.
Thousands of Pakistanis were working in Kuwait and Iraq in early ’90?s and had to left for their homeland after the first Gulf War. United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) had pledged to provide financial support to the affectees. OPF on behalf of the government of Pakistan had also submitted claims to the UNCC for financial assistance to the Pakistanis who came back to their homeland after first Gulf War in 1990.
Qureshi further said that Kuwait-Iraq war affectees had ended their hunger strike as Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo-moto notice of the matter on April 2009 and summoned all affectees who were not given compensation by OPF. But he said their compensation could not be claimed even after passing two- year since apex court taken up the issue.
They raised slogans against the administration of OPF and demanded their compensation, which was not paid to them for the last 18 years.
Talking to PPI, Chairman Kuwait-Iraq War Affectees Action Committee Iftikhar Qureshi warned that they would stage countrywide protest if not compensated in next few days.
Now, he alleged that in accordance with claims of the action committee, the compensation were not distributed fairly by the OPF as originally planned. The committee has also filed a lawsuit case with the Supreme Court pending from last two years. “SC hears high-profile cases on daily basis but our case is pending till now”, he complained.
He appealed CJP to dispose off their case at earliest so that awaited affectees could formulate future strategy for themselves. “we can’t let OPF to snatch our due rights”, he said while expressing resolve to his two decades long struggle.
Qureshi said since 1991, as many as 96,670 affectees were still waiting for their compensation as United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) had given OPF a fairly huge amount for each affectee which has not be paid, he alleged. He further accused that OPF wanted to pay only Rs. 100,000 instead of paying actual compensation to war affectees. Commenting on government assurances, he said that government had given a deadline of 45 days to resolve the issue that was over on April 21, 2009, but so far nothing proceeded in this regard.
“OPF officials wanted to put this matter into labyrinth for their face saving,” he said.
Thousands of Pakistanis were working in Kuwait and Iraq in early ’90?s and had to left for their homeland after the first Gulf War. United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) had pledged to provide financial support to the affectees. OPF on behalf of the government of Pakistan had also submitted claims to the UNCC for financial assistance to the Pakistanis who came back to their homeland after first Gulf War in 1990.
Qureshi further said that Kuwait-Iraq war affectees had ended their hunger strike as Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo-moto notice of the matter on April 2009 and summoned all affectees who were not given compensation by OPF. But he said their compensation could not be claimed even after passing two- year since apex court taken up the issue.
