The Sindh government has introduced a motor third-party insurance system under which road accident victims or their families will receive compensation of up to Rs700,000 through an automatic claims process.
The new mechanism is designed to provide financial assistance without requiring victims or their families to pursue lengthy court proceedings, allowing compensation to be disbursed more quickly.
Officials said the implementation of the insurance system has led to a sharp increase in commercial vehicle insurance coverage, with the number of insurance policies surging by 1,300%.
According to official figures, commercial vehicle insurance policies have increased from around 11,000 to more than 165,000 since the initiative was introduced.
Authorities also revealed plans to expand the motor third-party insurance model to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in an effort to improve road accident compensation nationwide.
In a separate development, life insurance annuity products have been launched to provide greater financial security and convenience for retired individuals.
Officials further announced the establishment of an insurance companies’ consortium to offer crop insurance coverage, describing it as another major step towards strengthening Pakistan’s insurance sector and protecting farmers from financial losses.
Deadly train accidents in Pakistan’s history
During the past 70 years in Pakistan, thousands of people have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured in train accidents.
The first major train accident in the country’s history occurred near Jhimpir in 1953, in which 200 people lost their lives.
Earlier this year, on April 27, seven people, including a woman, died after a fire broke out in a coach of the Karachi Express.
From 2018 to March 2021, multiple train accidents resulted in the deaths of 230 people and injuries to 285 others.
On March 7, 2021, one person was killed and more than 40 were injured after a train derailed in Sukkur.
Sources say that the railway track inherited by Pakistan after its creation has neither been modernised nor undergone any significant changes.
The operational lifespan of several railway bridges has already expired, but the government has paid no attention to them.
In addition, there are thousands of locations across the country where either no railway crossing gate exists or there is no gatekeeper present, resulting in the occurrence of serious accidents.
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