Preliminary findings of the investigation being carried out into the Murree snowfall tragedy have exposed the incompetence of the civil administration which failed to deal with the situation as it unfolded.
According to details, the administration did not renovate the roads of the hill station in the last two years despite knowing the fact that tourists throng Murree during snowfall.
Moreover, the administration did not employ heavy machinery to clear the roads during the heavy snowfall which resulted in the blockage of the exit points of Murree causing tourists to get stranded in the vehicles.
The administration also failed to keep a check on the prices of hotels and guest houses and to ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity and gas to the hill station which forced the tourists to spend the night in the vehicles.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi and City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi failed to ban the entry of tourists in Murree on time which resulted in a record influx of vehicles in the scenic tourist destination.
Assistant Commissioner (AC) Murree and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic were present in the city on Friday night during record-breaking snowfall. Despite receiving an advisory of heavy snowfall from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), AC Murree and DIG Traffic failed to deploy heavy machinery to clear roads during snowfall. The officials initiated clearance operation only after the snowfall stopped on Saturday morning but it was too late.
Lastly, the administration has been unable to build parking plazas in the city to accommodate thousands of vehicles that come to the hill station during snowfall.
Murree received record-breaking snowfall on Friday night, resulting in traffic jams and road blockages. 22 tourists died in vehicles due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Punjab government jumped into action the next day to rescue the tourists stranded in their vehicles. Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar, instituted a four-member committee on Saturday to probe the snowfall tragedy.
The high-level committee is headed by Additional Chief Secretary Punjab, Zafar Nasarullah, while Food Secretary Punjab, Ali Sarfraz, Agriculture Secretary Punjab, Asad Rehman Gillani, and Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Welfare Punjab, Farooq Mazhar, make up the four-member committee.
CM Punjab has ordered the committee to complete the investigation into the tragedy at the earliest and submit the detailed findings of the report with a week after which he will take stern action against those responsible for negligence in the incident.
I hope strict actions means to hold AC Murree and DIG Traffic on charge of manslaughter and not just resigning from their posts.
This is a test of PTI govt, for the promises they made before elections. Such criminal negligence should have dire consequences for the beau acracy.
Its not just administration’s fault. Its negligence on behalf of Federal and provincial government. The ministers who were taking credit of large number of tourists going to Murree should now be asked why they did not keep a check around these issues. PM or CM should resign if they have any decency in them!!
I hope strict actions!