ISLAMABAD: Prime Minis­­ter Shehbaz Sharif has approved a financial package for the families of a policeman and a taxi driver who lost their lives in a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Friday (Dec 23).

Syed Adeel Hussain, a head constable in Islamabad police, and Syed Sajjad Haider Shah, the taxi driver, were martyred and six other people, four policemen among them, injured in the blast at Islamabad’s I-10/4 sector.

Television footage showed the fiery wreckage of a vehicle with several cops at the scene after the explosion. Shortly afterwards, the Islamabad police declared a “red alert” in the city.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which called off a stop-start ceasefire with the government last month, claimed responsibility for the blast in a statement. It was established during investigation the taxi driver had no links with the suicide bomber.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the district administration of Islamabad on Sunday to hand over a cheque for Rs10 million to the family of Sajjad Haider. The cheque was handed over to his family the same day.

The premier also directed the interior ministry to ensure that the martyred policeman’s family received the Shuhada (martyrs) Assistance Package.

Former prime minister Imran Khan had approved the Shuhada Assistance Package in 2018 under which the payment to the family of a martyred police official was raised from Rs2 million to Rs20m.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2022