LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has restored the status of Murree as a district, suspending the notification of the Punjab caretaker government that had withdrawn its district status.
The decision to give Murree district status had been taken by the previous elected government but was withdrawn by the caretaker government that is currently running the province until new elections can be held.
Murree was given district status by the Punjab government in mid-October 2022, following a tragic incident in which 23 people lost their lives due to heavy snow.
The move was aimed at providing maximum relief to the people and was supported by PTI leaders from Murree and Kotli Sattian.
However, the decision to withdraw Murree’s district status was challenged in the LHC by a former member of the National Assembly Sadaqat Abbasi, and retired Maj Latasob Satti from Kotli Sattian, who argued that the caretaker government had no authority to suspend the notification.
They also expressed concerns about the impartiality of the caretaker government.
The LHC had previously suspended notifications of the creation of new administrative divisions and districts, including Gujrat, Wazirabad, Talagang, Kot Addu, Jalalpur Jattan, and Kunjah tehsils until new elections are held in the province.
However, in a recent verdict, the court has restored the status of Gujrat as a division and Wazirabad as a district, and now Murree has also been reinstated as a district.
The decision has been welcomed by locals and leaders who had been pushing for Murree to be given district status.
It is expected to provide greater resources and attention to the region and help boost tourism in the area.
