Panipat, July 29
Living a life of penury, the family members of Pakistan-based victims of Samjhauta train blasts, have now a ray of hope.

The government has cleared decks for their visit to India to seek official compensation, which, in some cases, has been usurped by their kin staying in India.

Among many such victims are two minors - Sayed Umar Ali and Sayed Fahad Ali - whose parents were aboard the Samjhauta Express which was rocked by two deadly blasts at Diwana station in Panipat on February 18, 2007.

Five years on, the duo has been struggling to survive in absence of a support system and money. Moved by their plight, a Panipat-based lawyer Momin Malik took up their case. Now the siblings have a reason to smile, as they, along with three more victims, would be able to visit India and pursue their cases of compensation. The Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreign Division) has given a security clearance and asked their lawyer to contact Indian High Commission at Islamabad for visa.

While pursuing the case, Malik came to know that both Ali and Fahad had not got any compensation for the death of their parents. Worse, their relative Afaq Hasan, a resident of Farookhabad in India, allegedly took the compensation in connivance with some railway officials.

Similarly, the parents of Ayaz Ahmed of Karachi, Izhar Hassan and Razia Sultana also died in the bomb blast and their compensation was claimed by one Afaq Hasan staying in India.

Munna Khan, a resident of Karachi, lost his wife Jarina begum, daughter Farzana and son Azam Khan in the blast and the compensation was fraudulently claimed by his cousin Abdul Rafiq.

Momin Malik said Vivek Srivastav, Under Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (foreign division), on July 17 conveyed the ministry’s security clearance for the visit of Ayaz Ahmed and Syed Imtiaz. The cases of Syed Umar, Sayed Fahad and Munnay Khan were cleared on July 13.