No bodies, no compensation for heirs

Several months have passed since the fire erupted at the garment factory in Baldia Town, but dozens of families are still waiting for the victims’ bodies as well as for the compensation amounting to Rs900,000 for each victim’s family.

There are still 23 legal heirs of the victims who have not been compensated because their DNA samples did not match the bodies that were recently buried.

Nazia Parveen is one such legal heir. She is the widow of Riaz Ahmed and the sister of Rafaqat Ali. Ahmed and Ali both lost their lives in the fire at Ali Enterprises, the garment factory.

However, despite providing DNA samples thrice, she was not handed over her husband’s body and is yet to be compensated as well.

Parveen, along with other heirs of the victims, had recently staged a demonstration in front of the Sindh Assembly to demand the victims’ bodies and compensation.

Following the protest, the authorities concerned had held a dialogue with the heirs and persuaded them to allow the burial of 17 bodies that were kept at the Edhi morgue since the time of the incident. After the heirs’ permission, 17 unidentified bodies were buried on Sunday.

After the fire on September 11 last year, which claimed the lives of around 300 workers, the prime minister, the provincial government and Malik Riaz had announced Rs400,000, Rs300,000 and Rs200,000 as compensation for the family of each victim.

Initially, in the absence of a proper mechanism, several heirs allegedly took bodies from the hospitals and the mortuary and buried them.

Since several remaining bodies were apparently beyond identification because they were badly burnt, the government took DNA samples from the affected families, but the resultant report has yet to be released.

Parveen, who played an important role in assembling the heirs to hold a demonstration in front of the Sindh Assembly, told this correspondent that after the demonstration, the Karachi commissioner had claimed that he had the compensation for all the victims’ families.

She said they were requested to allow the mass burial because the sanctity of the bodies was being affected.

She revealed that after the mass burial, there were still five bodies at the Edhi mortuary that have been identified through DNA, but their legal heirs had yet to collect them since they had already buried someone else in their place.

Parveen said when she asked for compensation, she was told to present the death certificate of her husband, which she did not possess.

Her brother’s body was recognised and compensation amounting to Rs700,000 was awarded to his legal heirs.

“I have been desperately going from pillar to post to get the body of my husband and the lengthy and torturous process has made my life miserable,” she said.

She said she lived in a rented house with three children to look after, adding that she did not know when the government would compensate her.

“Government functionaries are asking me to produce proof of death of my husband. That is not my responsibility. The government should have arranged these documents,” she added.

National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Deputy General Secretary Nasir Mansoor, who has been a strong supporter of the victims’ families, said the government had arranged the mass burial of 17 bodies to get rid of the issue for good.

He said that the victims’ families would continue to suffer as long as the government does not compensate them.

The NTUF is planning to sue the international audit company that had awarded a clean chit to the garment factory two weeks before the fire broke out there, he added.

Thursday 28 February 2013

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