ISLAMABAD - The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Friday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that Punjab government has already taken action against the officials responsible for negligence in the tragedy in Murree in which at least 23 people lost their lives because of a strong snowstorm that swept through the hill station two weeks ago.
AGP Khalid Jawad Khan stated this before the court of a single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Athar Minallah during the hearing of a petition filed by a Murree resident, seeking an investigation into the tragedy and action against those responsible. Hammad Abbasi filed the petition through his lawyer Danish Ishraq Abbasi pleading the high court to order a probe into the incident and punish those found responsible for the disaster. During the hearing, the AGP informed the bench that the Chief Minister Punjab has changed the whole administration of Rawalpindi district after an inquiry of the incident.
He added that the government is going to declare Murree as a district so that the whole district level setup of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) could be established at the hill resort.
After hearing the arguments of the AGP, the IHC Chief Justice concluded the hearing saying that he would issue written judgment in this matter.
In this matter, the petitioner had prayed to the court that tourists were not informed about the hazard at the toll plaza before entering the hill station and they were also not stopped by the authorities concerned from proceeding further.
On the last hearing, the CJ had asked from the members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) that who was responsible for the deaths as Parliament had earlier enacted the disaster management law. He said that it was supposed to be implemented since 2010. Has there ever been a meeting [on the subject] of National Disaster Management till date, he asked. The judge continued that had the meetings been held regularly and adequate preparations were made, precious lives would not have been lost. It is unfortunate; you have failed. It was your responsibility to convene the meeting.
He added that if this law had been implemented, not a single citizen would have died and in this case, there was no need for inquiry, as only the NDMA had to implement the law.
Justice Athar observed that if district-wise plans existed, the tragedy would not have occurred. He asked the NDMA to convene a meeting and take action against those responsible. He further said that the NDMA has not fulfilled its responsibility.