Pak man compensated for death of 5 kids in Samjhauta Exp blast

Three years after five of his children were killed in the Samjhauta Express blast, a Pakistani national has been finally compensated by the Indian Government.

Three years after five of his children were killed in the Samjhauta Express blast, a Pakistani national has been finally compensated by the Indian Government.

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Rana Shaukat Ali, 50, a native of Faislabad, Pakistan, along with his family had come on an annual trip to India to visit his brother in February 2007. They were on their way back to home when the blast ripped through Samjhauta Express when it was near Panipat.

Of the couple's six children, only one survived.

"We have asked the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to pay Rs 22.53 lakh as compensation to Ali's family and it would be debited to us," Northern Railway CPRO Anant Swarup said.

However, the family had to go through a huge ordeal to get the money and there was a long drawn hearing at the railway tribunal in Chandigarh.

When the compensation was released through two cheques, totalling Rs 20 lakh along with interest, it was in Indian currency, making it impossible for Ali to withdraw the money in Pakistan.

At this point, the Railway Ministry turned to the MEA for help.