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ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Monday strongly criticized the PTI-led federal government for its “criminal negligence” in dealing with the events that lead to the deaths of at least 22 tourists in Murree and demanded the formation of a judicial commission to probe the tragic incident.
The NA was originally slated to discuss the controversial Finance (Supplementary) Bill. Shortly after the recitation of the Holy Quran, NA Speaker Asad Qaiser said that the House would discuss the tragic incident in Murree and would discuss the finance bill tomorrow.
Speaking during the session, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “mismanagement” on part of the government that, according to him, led to the tragic deaths.
“Twenty-three people lost their lives in the tragic incident, while tourists were stuck in snow for more than 20 hours but no one bothered to help them,” he said, adding that people kept calling for help but neither the traffic police nor any other body was there to assist them.
“The Murree tragedy was nothing but an administrative failure and it demonstrates the incompetency and criminal negligence of the incumbent government,” the PML-N president added.
He further said that it was not the first time that Murree received heavy snowfall and this time, snowstorms had been forecast, so the authorities concerned could have taken preventative measures beforehand.
He said that the entire country was grieving but government officials were not bothered. “They said that the administration was not prepared. If that was the case then what are you there for? Resign and go home,” he added.
Referring to the Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry’s earlier statement in which he appreciated the “boost in Murree’s tourism,” Shehbaz said that a sitting minister had also commented about how good the country’s economy was doing which was evident in the way thousands were visiting Murree.
“There was no space in Murree’s hotels. When this incident occurred, one Nero was asleep in Islamabad and the other was busy rigging the polls,” Shehbaz added.
He alleged that the government dealt with the incident in the same way it was handling the country. “I believe this is a criminal act,” Shehbaz said, reiterating that the PML-N government used to have steps in place to combat snowfall in Murree.
Shehbaz also called the committee formed to investigate the incident a “joke”. “People died because of their criminal negligence and they say a committee will investigate,” he said, adding that the “murders” would not be forgiven.
“Govt’s hypocrisy”
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed similar feelings and said that innocent families and children, who were stranded in snow a mere two hours from the capital, did not receive the help they deserved.
In an apparent reference to Chaudhry, who had left the assembly at this point, Bilawal said that a minister was celebrating the influx on tourists in Murree and hailed it as proof of the country’s economic progress.
“And when news of the incident broke, instead of expressing grief and ensuring help, the same minister started victim-blaming on social media and said that the people shouldn’t have gone,” he said, adding that the country hadn’t ever seen such “hypocrisy”.
He continued, “Since the PTI government came into power, the prime minister and officials always blame the victims.” Bilawal recalled that when the Hazaras in Quetta staged a protest in early 2021 against the killing of 11 miners in Balochistan’s Mach coalfield area, PM Imran had told them to stop blackmailing him.
He noted that government officials had also done the same when the gang-rape of a woman occurred on the Lahore motorway in 2020. “When the Murree incident happened just two hours away from the prime minister’s house, the prime minister took to social media to say that the tourists should have checked the weather,” he added.
The PPP chairman reiterated the opposition leader’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the incident so that action could be taken against those responsible. Bilawal said that inflation was at an all-time high in Pakistan but the blood of the people was “cheap”.
He added that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was attending a PTI meeting when the incident was taking place. “The entire nation saw that the army and the administration managed the rescue work. He merely conducted an aerial inspection and returned,” he added.
