PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has disposed of plea of around 300 people affected by 2015 devastating earthquake in Upper Dir district, seeking compensation, after assurance by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) that the verified ones among them would be compensated after release of required funds by government.

A bench consisting of Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan and Justice Salahud Din was informed by the director general of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Dir Upper deputy commissioner, in their comments that so far only those affected people had been compensated, who were duly verified by special damage assessment committee constituted for the purpose.

They stated that in order to compensate the leftover verified petitioners, the provincial government had been requested for provision of funds. They added that those affected people would be compensated as and when the funds were received.

The joint petition was filed by around 300 inhabitants of Upper Dir including Naseeb Rawan and others, seeking directives of the court for respondents including secretary of relief and rehabilitation department, PDMA director general and deputy commissioner to pay compensation to the petitioners, who had suffered losses in the devastating earthquake of Oct 26, 2015.

Advocate Amanullah Pirzada appeared for the petitioners, whereas provincial government was represented by the assistant advocate general, Rahimullah Chitrali. A tehsildar of Dir Upper, Aftab Ahmad, and the assistant litigation officer of PDMA, Ubaidullah, also appeared in the case.

PHC disposes of plea of 2015 earthquake survivors

On the order of the high court, PDMA director general and Upper Dir deputy commissioner had filed joint comments in the petition. They stated that presently no funds were available under such head to pay compensation to the petitioners.

The petitioners’ counsel stated that he would be satisfied if the petition may be disposed of in terms of the comments so submitted by the respondents.

He referred to the para wherein respondents had stated that they had requested the provincial government for release of funds so as to pay compensation to the leftover verified petitioners.

The AAG said that he had no objection if the petition was disposed of in terms of the said comments of the respondents.

Earlier, the petitioner counsel stated that on Oct 26, 2015, a high magnitude earthquake had hit the region which had also badly affected areas of Dir Upper district.

He said that as a result of that earthquake, the inhabitants of Upper Dir had faced substantial losses as their houses were completely or partially damaged.

He stated that government had constituted special assessment committee comprising representative of army, district administration and local councils to assess and calculate the losses sustained by people.

The counsel said that after assessment by the committee, cheques of compensation were issued to most of the affected people by the deputy commissioner, but the petitioners were deprived of their lawful rights.

He claimed that the names of petitioners were mentioned in the lists of the affected people maintained in the office of deputy commissioner and approved for compensation by the assessment committee but still no action was taken by the respondents for release of the required cheques to them.

He stated that the act of non-provision of compensation to the petitioners was illegal and unconstitutional as pick and choose policy was adopted in payment of compensation.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025