LAHORE - PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has announced that the government will bear the cost of the transporting the bodies of deceased overseas Pakistanis to Pakistan or Azad Jammu Kashmir, besides paying Rs 50,000 to the aggrieved family for the burial and one million rupees insurance.
He made the announcement on behalf of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, led by Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, while talking to the media at the Pakistani High Commission in London on Saturday. Pakistan’s High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hassan was also present on the occasion. Shujaat said under the package, body of a deceased overseas Pakistani worker would be transported by the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution .
The PML-Q chief said the ministry was also held by his late father Chaudhry Zahur Elahi Shaheed and they were trying keeping alive his tradition.
He said it was an old demand of the overseas Pakistanis, while the improved package was better than the one he had announced when he was the prime minister.
He said the Sahara Health Insurance was a subsidiary of EOBI, which would be making these payments, adding that the EOBI would ensure transportation irrespective of the fact whether the PIA service was available there or not.
Shujaat also announced offering the Group Accidental Insurance Scheme to all the journalists and cameramen. He said in case of death, the family of the deceased journalist or cameraman would be paid one million rupees, while the amount was Rs 0.2 million in case of permanent disability and Rs 0.1 million for disability of temporary nature.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari telephoned PML-Q senior Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in London and enquired about his health. According to a press statement issued on Saturday, a delegation of MQM also visited Elahi at the hospital and presented him a bouquet from their leader Altaf Hussain. National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza also telephoned him and enquired about his health. Bouquets were also sent to him by her and Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi.