Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench held Rescue 1122, the Punjab Highway Department, and the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) responsible for the Murree tragedy, which killed at least 22 tourists, asking the government to take against them.
The judge gave these directives while delivering a judgment in the case from four months ago. The present judgment is a part of the 80-page comprehensive ruling to be revealed on 7 November 2022.
He further stated that any unlawful buildings/constructions in Murree must be demolished as soon as possible.
He emphasized the need for a process for hotels, and for the rents to be fixed by introducing a system of categories to differentiate between guest houses and hotels in Murree. He also ordered that parking spaces be built away from the hill resort to reduce traffic congestion.
The Judge also stressed that the Rs. 800,000 compensation given to families who lost relatives was insufficient and that the government should do better.
The court also ordered that a special department be established to clean the sewage and drains in the district in the winter season to assist the travelers and locals.
In addition, the court advised that the government should look into the matter of personnel who were undeservingly suspended during the investigation into the unfortunate accident last winter.
Justice Abdul Aziz further stated that strong legal action needed to be taken against officials who were aware of PMD’s information concerning the unexpected snowstorm.
It is important to remember that on January 9, 2022, a snowstorm killed 23 tourists, including men, women, and children, at the hill station.
The original investigation report, which was made public, referred to the inability of key government ministries to take proactive actions in response to Met Office warnings. The investigation also revealed that no efforts were made to control the inflow of tourists.
On May 7, the LHC Rawalpindi Bench reserved its decision in the Murree disaster case. The High Court had a total of 24 sessions in the case.
The then Punjab Chief Minister, Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar, also formed a joint investigative committee, which suspended 15 personnel, including the former Commissioner of Rawalpindi division and Deputy Commissioner.
