Karachi, Feb. 4: The Sindh High Court (SHC) today decreed that all surviving victims of the riots that took place in Karachi on May 12 last year should be compensated.

In a short but precise order, the court discharged all petitions relating to May 12.

The five-member larger Bench headed by the Chief Justice, Justice Afzal Somroo, comprised of Justice Munib Ahmad, Justice Nadim Azhar Siddiqui, Justice Abdul Rahman Farooq Pirzada and Justice Dr. Rana Muhammad Shamim.

SHC short order asked all those affectees, who have not yet received compensations, to contact Sindh government immediately.

Earlier, SHC another full Bench had discharged two petitions relating to the May 12 contempt of court against the former chief minister, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

The court in its last hearing had deferred the decision on the main reference made out in the petitions of Pakistan International Human Rights Organization and the report of SHC Registrar due to the absence of a member of the Bench Justice Abdur Rahman Farooq Pirzada.

Special security arrangements were made on the occasion, The News reported.

Riots erupted across Karachi on May 12, 2007 over the planned arrival in the city of ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. During the riots, city roads were blocked, cars burned and hundreds of people were injured and arrested, most of them political workers. At least 41 people died in the riots that also took place before a rally of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the coalition partner in the provincial government, was to be held.

Chief Justice Chaudhry was not allowed to proceed outside Karachi Airport and was flown back to Islamabad. He was to address the city bar association on the 50th anniversary of establishment of the Sindh High Court Bar Association. (ANI)