Peshawar School Tragedy Compensation: KP Governor Announces Rs1m for Each Bereaved Family
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced the Peshawar school tragedy compensation package, offering Rs1 million to the family of each child killed in the Dir Colony school collapse and Rs200,000 to every injured person. Kundi made the announcement on Friday during a visit to the school site, where a classroom roof gave way and killed 30 children and a female teacher and injured 52 people. He pledged the inquiry would be completed within four days and that action would follow against anyone found responsible.
What the Peshawar school tragedy compensation covers
Each bereaved family will receive Rs1 million, while each of the 52 injured people will receive Rs200,000. Kundi did not say when the payments would be disbursed.
Kundi said the response would go beyond announcements and paperwork. “Such incidents have previously been limited to photo opportunities and inquiry committees,” he said, adding that the investigation would be completed within four days and responsibility fixed wherever the failure occurred.
Who issued the school’s NOC?
The central question is who granted the school a no-objection certificate to operate in a deteriorating building. Kundi said investigators would establish who issued the NOC during the tenure of the previous government, blaming it for failing to carry out school audits and alleging that official negligence had let safety concerns go unchecked. The inquiry will examine the conduct of the school owner alongside all relevant departments, and the governor has separately ordered a province-wide structural safety audit of educational institutions to identify risky buildings.
Investigation committees and police case
The collapse triggered both a police case and multiple inquiries. Late at night, the KP Human Resources Department constituted a fact-finding inquiry committee headed by Transport Department Secretary Zubair Ahmed, with Chief Engineer Jamshid Ali Khan of the Communication and Works Department among its members.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Department has also formed a three-member committee to determine the causes of the collapse and recommend preventive measures. It is headed by Javid Iqbal, chairman of the Private Schools Regulatory Authority, and includes Muhammad Farooq, deputy secretary of the department. District-level committees will inspect private school buildings across the province, checking roofs, walls and foundations and identifying dangerous structures.
Meanwhile, police arrested the school owner, Khan Muhammad, over alleged construction defects. A case has been registered against the owners, shareholders and the construction contractor. The FIR alleges that the school management ignored repeated complaints from students about deteriorating walls and ceilings, and that substandard construction material was used in the building.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the victims’ families, his office said. Kundi, who has recently been central to the debate over the province’s future, attended the funeral prayers of the deceased before speaking to the media.
What happens next
The four-day inquiry deadline sets a tight timeline for answers. Kundi has said the investigation must move past the familiar pattern of announcements followed by silence, and that those responsible will be identified and punished. The tragedy has unfolded as the governor and the provincial government remain at odds, putting the administration’s response under close watch.
For the families in Dir Colony, a neighbourhood of Peshawar, the inquiry’s findings will matter less than the promise of accountability. Relatives have accused the school administration of ignoring warnings about the building’s condition and demanded that those responsible be made an example of.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation did the KP governor announce for the Peshawar school tragedy?
The governor announced Rs1 million for the family of each child killed in the Dir Colony school collapse and Rs200,000 for each injured person. The building collapse killed 30 children and a female teacher and injured 52 people.
Who announced the compensation, the KP government or the governor?
The announcement was made by KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi during his visit to the school. Some headlines attributed it to the KP government, but it was the governor’s announcement.
What is the focus of the investigation into the school collapse?
Investigators will establish who issued the school a no-objection certificate to operate in a deteriorating building. The inquiry will examine the conduct of the school owner and all relevant departments, and action will be taken against anyone found responsible.
Has anyone been arrested over the Peshawar school collapse?
Yes. Police arrested the school owner, Khan Muhammad, over alleged construction defects, and a case has been registered against the owners, shareholders and the construction contractor.
