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Pakistan to compensate victims of Lahore blast

Xinhua, March 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

The government of Pakistan's east Punjab province Monday announced a compensation of 1 million rupees (about 9,434 U.S. dollars) for the 72 people killed in a suicide blast that hit the provincial capital of Lahore on Sunday.

Chief Minister of the province Shahbaz Sharif attended a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz sharif to review the security situation of the country, and announced the compensation plan.

The chief minister also announced compensation of 300,000 rupees (2,830 U.S. dollars) to the critically injured people and 150,000 rupees (1,415 U.S. dollars) to the slightly injured victims.

Prime Minister Sharif, while chairing a high-level meeting, called for more proactive coordination among law enforcement and intelligence agencies against terrorism.

He also directed police and paramilitary troops to launch operations in the southern Punjab province against the militants there.

Army chief General Raheel Sharif also gave a go-ahead to the crackdown operations.

The army and Rangers conducted separate operations in various areas of the province and arrested dozens of militants for investigations.

The prime minister, who was scheduled to fly to London on Monday, delayed his visit for one day in the wake of the blast, and will give a national address at 8 p.m. local time (1500 GMT).

Zaeem Qadri, spokesperson of the Punjab government, said the deadly blast rocked the thickly crowded Gulshan-i-Iqbal park of the city.

The police found a half-burnt National Identity Card near the remains of the 28-year-old suicide bomber, who came from Muzaffargarh area of the province.

Law enforcement agencies raided the bomber's home in the wee hours of Monday morning and arrested his brothers and other family members for investigations.

The bomber's family said he used to run an academy in Lahore and did not have any link with terrorist organizations.

Contrary to the family's claim, local Urdu media Geo quoted police as saying that the bomber was associated with a banned outfit in southern Punjab and used to recruit people for them. Endit