Federal Cabinet Approves Compensation for Victims of Dasu Attack

In a recent development, the federal cabinet has granted approval for the disbursement of $2.58 million as compensation to the families of Chinese nationals who tragically lost their lives in the Dasu suicide attack back in March. Additionally, a compensation amount of Rs2.5 million has been sanctioned for the Pakistani driver who also fell victim to the attack.

The decision to provide compensation stems from a recommendation put forth by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), taking into account factors such as GDP per capita and purchasing power parity. The Ministry of Water Resources initially proposed the compensation grant, which was later greenlit by the ECC.

Under the approved compensation package, each family of the deceased Chinese nationals is set to receive $516,000 or Rs143.4 million, totaling Rs717 million. To facilitate this, the Finance Ministry will be offering a supplementary grant since the Ministry of Water Resources lacked the necessary funds in its budget.

The allocated compensation will be transferred to the Pakistani embassy in Beijing for distribution to the families through appropriate channels. These decisions come in the wake of a recent terror attack in Shangla that resulted in the tragic loss of five Chinese engineers and one Pakistani worker on the Dasu Dam project.

Following the attack, Chinese companies opted to temporarily suspend civil work at the Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha Dam sites due to security concerns. With approximately 991 Chinese engineers engaged in these projects, local staff have been advised to stay at home until further instructions are provided.

The approval of compensation for the families affected by the Dasu attack marks a significant step towards acknowledging and addressing the repercussions of such tragic events. This decision not only reflects the government's commitment to supporting those impacted by acts of violence but also underscores the importance of international cooperation and solidarity in times of crisis.