ISLAMABAD - Terming the Murree tragedy a criminal negligence on part of PTI government, opposition, during Monday’s Nati onal Assembly sitting, demanded formation of a judicial commission to fix the responsibility.

The opposition members came up with suggestions to compensate families of tourists by distributing Rs50 lac for each victim. It was proposed to pass a resolution in the House to fix the responsibility. 

The government, on other hand, claimed that the civil administration and armed forces undertook rescue efforts and cleared all roads in 24 hours.

Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, initiating a debate on the Murree tragedy, came down hard on federal government for mishandling the situation. “Was it a natural happening or a manslaughter?,” he questioned and demanded formation of a judicial commission to fix the responsibility. 

This government turned the happiness of the tourists into sorrow with their negligence, he said, mentioning that the incumbent government was 100 percent responsible for this tragic situation in Murree. “If you (government) can’t tackle the situation then prefer to step down immediately,” he commented.

He said that there was no arrangement for tourists in the area. Even traffic officials and authorities responsible for removing the snow were not present.

“This was a criminal act of negligence which cannot be ignored,” he said, adding that it was not the first time that it had snowed in a hilly station but a tragedy happened due to inefficiency.  

On Fawad Chaudhary’s tweet about tourists, the Opposition leader said that a sitting minister was taking pride that the country’s economy was boosting as a large number of people visiting Murree area.

“While there was no space in Murree’s hotels, the tourists were not stopped,” he commented. 

 

Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday demanded constitution of a judicial commission to probe the Murree tragedy.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Bilawal said that the nation was saddened for the innocent children and their parents who lost their lives just at a distance of only two hours from the capital of the country, Islamabad. 

He reminded the House that just two years ago, when the sister of the prime minister was stranded in severe weather in Chitral and she was rescued by a helicopter. “She should have been saved and these common people should have been saved as well,” he added.

Bialwal said that a minister via his message on social media was rejoicing at the hundreds and thousands flocking in Murree as well as boasting about an economic upturn. 

The same minister after the tragedy on social media started blaming the people that they did not check the weather forecast before going to Murree. 

“This is hypocrisy of the highest order. We all remember when the Hazaras of Quetta were mourning with the dead bodies of their dear ones and demanding of the prime minister to visit to them, the prime minister had said that he will not be blackmailed. Now, he says the stranded people should have gone to Murree after checking the weather forecast,” Bilawal said. 

Bilawal said that every essential commodity has become expensive while the lives of the people have become cheap in Pakistan. He said that the government forming a committee to investigate the Murree tragedy will be injustice to the people. 

He supported the demand by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif to form a judicial commission to investigate this tragedy so that all the responsible must be brought to justice.

 

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, on his turn, claimed that the administration had cleared the roads in 24 hours. A large number of tourists’ vehicles were cleared in bad weather conditions. 

He said more than 164,000 tourists entered Murree over the span of five days. It was PTI government members who helped out tourists, as no member parliament was seen in the Murree area in rescue efforts,” he claimed.

He said that there was a tragic incident every other day when the opposition leader (Shehbaz Sharif) was the Punjab chief minister. “The government is trying to implement a more modern setup and administrative structure to cater to this large number of people,” he said, adding that the negligence of the previous government created problems for the people of the country. 

 

Meanwhile yesterday, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari said the urea fertilizer was missing from the market for farmers during the catastrophic government. “This is the change. Farmers are forced to buy fertilizer at high prices in the black market,” he said.

Bukhari said the PPP had made the farmers prosperous and the country self-sufficient by increasing the purchase prices of agricultural commodities. “The PPP has decided to hold a nationwide farmers ‘march for farmers’ solidarity. The government has failed in all sectors,” he added.