Prime Minister Imran Khan gave directive to the inquiry committee formed to probe the Murree tragedy to expedite the investigation so that fact could be brought to light as early as possible.
“Everything needs to be regulated in tourist places, emphasis should be laid on overcoming the lack of infrastructure in Murree. The whole issue should be handled in a contemporary manner,” the PM stated.
The PM gave orders to speed up the inquiry during a meeting in which the attendees were briefed on the Murree tragedy by Punjab government spokesperson Hassan Khawar.
It is pertinent to note that earlier, a preliminary investigation report into the Murree tragedy – which claimed the lives of 23 tourists who were stranded in their vehicles on January 7 night – revealed that the roads in and around the hill station had not been repaired for the last two years and that caused the snow accumulated in the crevices to harden causing the traffic jam.
The report further disclosed that a slippery spot outside a private cafe in Murree led to the main exit from the hill station.
It has also been revealed by the report that there was no government machinery to remove the snow that could have allowed the tourists to escape.
Separately, the foreign funding case was also discussed during the meeting. SAPM Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib gave a briefing on the case and Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen briefed the forum on the economic situation.
SAPM Babar Awan stated that “we have provided the details of our donors to the Election Commission. It has also brought out the funding sources of other parties. The Finance Supplementary Bill will be approved by the Assembly this week”
