The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of a human rights case after it was informed by Punjab Prosecutor General Ashtar Ausaf Ali Khan that the provincial government had paid Rs 700,000 in compensation to the legal heirs of each child killed in the bus accident at Kallar Kahar on September 26, 2011.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry disposed of the suo motu case, initiated on the application of Muhammad Tariq Shah seeking action against officials responsible for the tragedy. The court directed the Punjab government to complete its vehicle examination campaign urgently, and issue fitness certificates and route permits to public transport vehicles.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq appeared on court’s notice, while the Punjab prosecutor general and other officers appeared on behalf of the Punjab government. Motorway Police officials also appeared before the court.
On September 26, 2011, a school bus, carrying 35 people, including 30 students of the Millat Grammar School in Faisalabad, was overturned on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway near Kallar Kahar. All the students died in the accident. During the hearing, Khan told the court that the provincial government had issued cheques of Rs 500,000 to the legal heirs of each deceased child in addition to a previously paid amount of Rs 200,000.
Some of the heirs also appeared before the court and told that the recently-given cheques of Rs 500,000 had been dishonoured because of non-available funds. In response, Khan promised to ensure payments on the issued cheques within three days.
The Punjab prosecutor general told the court that the government had also cancelled the fitness certificates of 4,826 vehicles after finding them unfit for travel. He said the examination process would continue and the government would ban any risky transport vehicle.
