Kuwait-Iraq war victims threaten hunger strike till death in front of OPF office

[Naveed Yaseen]

The victims of Kuwait-Iraq war have threatened to continue their hunger strike till death in front of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and urged Chief Justice Ifitikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo moto notice of the issue.

Talking to PPI, Chairman Kuwait-Iraq War Afectees Action Committee Ifikhar Quershi warned that they would stage countrywide protest if not compensated in next few days.He said that he did not invite anyone of the protesters sitting on Constitutional Avenue since May 11, but all the affectees would be called for countrywide strike if demands were not fulfilled at the earliest. He appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo moto notice of the issue and provide them the justice.

Responding to the statement of Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar, he said that government had given a deadline of 45 days to resolve the matter that was over on April 21, 2009, but so far nothing proceeded in this regard. “OPF officials wanted to put this matter into labyrinth for their face saving,” he said.

When interviewed dozens of affectees in the hunger strike camp, it was observed that most of them were dissatisfied with the assurances of political representatives and pressed for Supreme Court’s action on the matter.

Muhammad Yousuf, 65, a resident of Kotli Sattian, has died due to hunger and thirst during ongoing hunger strike in front of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) office here on Sunday. The deceased was among thousands of Pakistanis who were working in Kuwait and Iraq in early nineties and had to left to their homeland after the first Gulf War. United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) had pledged to provide financial support to the affectees.

Overseas Pakistanis Foundation on behalf of the government of Pakistan had also submitted claims to the UNCC for financial assistance to the Pakistanis who came back to their homeland after first Gulf War in 1990.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=178354