KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines claimed on Tuesday that it had paid compensation to the families of 20 victims at Rs10 million per deceased person, and said it was still waiting for succession certificates from 77 families to complete the process and bring the chapter to a close.

This was stated at a press conference by PIA chief Arshad Malik with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at Governor House, where they urged the families of the victims to complete the formalities at their end and offered every legal and possible assistance in that regard.

“These 20 families have been paid Rs10m [per] each victim,” said the PIA chief. “There are legal and procedural formalities which need to be met even for the legal heirs of the victims. We are offering every possible help to the families and our legal teams are available round the clock at their service.”

Families of 77 others asked to complete formalities for the payment

Ninety-seven passengers and crew members of flight PK-8303 from Lahore to Karachi died when the A320 aircraft crashed in Model Colony on May 22, 2020 — just a day before Eidul Fitr. Two passengers, however, miraculously survived.

Besides the 97 dead, three girls on the ground also suffered burn injuries and one of them died later at a hospital. PIA said it had paid Rs1m to the family of the deceased girl and Rs500,000 each to the two injured girls.

Apart from the loss of lives, over a dozen houses on the ground were badly damaged and a number of vehicles parked in the streets of the neighbourhood were completely burnt.

Sindh Governor Ismail said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was well aware of the miseries of the heirs of the passengers killed in the PIA plane crash and the federal government was trying its best to resolve the issues of the heirs with the coordination of PIA.

“The process of compensation payment has already begun,” he said. “The compensation amount has also been increased from Rs5m to Rs10m for each victim. The compensation is being paid through an insurance company for which a succession certificate is mandatory.”

He said that a PIA team had already briefed the prime minister twice on the matters related to the May 22 plane crash tragedy.

In August 2020, the National Insurance Company Limited announced that it would pay Rs10m each to the heirs of 97 passengers killed in the plane. Being a government company, the NICL has insured every PIA passenger for Rs5m as well as the entire fleet of the national carrier.

However, the PIA management persuaded the insurance company to pay Rs10m per passenger instead of Rs5m as the maximum limit allowed in the Carriage by Air Act of 2012.

“PIA has also constituted a legal team to facilitate and expedite the process of issuance of succession certificates,” said Governor Ismail. “As soon as the heirs submit the succession certificate, they will get the compensation. I would soon invite the heirs of the victims of the plane crash tragedy to Governor House to meet them personally.”

He said that eligible children of the victims were also being provided jobs in PIA and those who had not yet attained the legal age of 18 would get employment in the national flag carrier when they turn 18.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2021