ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah on Wednesday heard a petition seeking a formal inquiry in the Muree tragedy in which 22 tourists lost their lives after being stranded in extreme snowfall.
The judge remarked that those responsible for the Murree tragedy deserve to be hanged and there was no need for inquiry in the case. “NDMA and the state are responsible for the Muree tragedy. There is no need for an inquiry.
Hamad Abbasi, a resident of Murree, appeared in court along with his lawyer during the hearing of his petition. The counsel urged the court to take action against those responsible for the Murree tragedy for their criminal negligence.
The lawyer said that the family of the deceased ASI Naveed had informed the higher authorities about the situation. He said the authorities including police and interior minister failed to take any action.
He questioned why more than 100,000 tourists were allowed to come to Murree. “The failure of all senior officials to take action on the incident shows their criminal negligence,” he told the court. The court summoned Deputy Attorney General Tayyab Shah and asked him about disaster management.
NDMA officials appeared after summoned by the court. The Chief Justice expressed his immense displeasure over their failure in protecting the precious lives of the tourists. The court expressed outrage over the negligence of NDMA officials and questioned who was responsible for the tragedy.
During the hearing, the judge asked if the NDMA have even held a meeting. “There must have been a proper management plan to avoid any incident like Murree tragedy”, Chief Justice added. The hearing was adjourned until Friday.
The Punjab government has formed a five-member committee to probe the Murree tragedy and determine the causes for the deaths of the tourists.
The committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Home Zafar Nasarullah visited the hill station on Wednesday and recorded statements of different administrative officers deployed in Murree. The committee had been directed to submit its report within seven days and identify the elements involved in negligence.
At least 22 tourists who were stranded in their vehicles due to heavy snowfall died of the extreme weather in Murree last Friday night. An initial investigation report revealed administrative flaws during the influx of tourists to the scenic hill station during snowfall.
