The widow of Haroon Bilour returned the Rs 0.5 million compensation cheque issued to her by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, saying her husband sacrificed his life for a greater cause than money.
The provincial government has issued a compensation cheque of Rs 0.5 million to Bilour’s heirs. Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haroon Bilour was killed in a suicide bomb blast on July 10 during his election campaign for PK-78 Peshawar.
When contacted, his son Daniyal said his father and grandfather’s cause was greater than this and they would not mar that cause by accepting compensation.
“The Bilour family will continue its struggle for peace and such cowardly attacks will not deter our resolve,” he said. However, the ANP leadership expressed annoyance over the meagre amount offered to the family. The party said that the family should have been compensated under the Shuhada package.
“The government issued Rs 10 million to heirs of Israrullah Gandapur, a PTI member of the KP Assembly from DI Khan, when he was martyred in a suicide blast and to the family of Fareed Khan, another MPA from Hangu district when he was shot dead,” said Dr Sohail Khan, an ANP leader. “Samar Haroon Bilour today returned the Rs500,000 cheque sent by the KP govt as compensation for her martyred husband Haroon Bilour.
Published in Daily Times, July 21st 2018.
