PESHAWAR: Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, Justice SM Atiq Shah, expressed strong displeasure over the tragic drowning of 14 tourists in the Swat River, criticizing the delay in rescue operations and highlighting administrative negligence. The incident, caused by a sudden river swell, resulted in the fatalities, which Justice Shah attributed to the lack of preventive measures and inadequate response.
During a hearing, Justice Shah summoned the commissioners of Malakand, Hazara, Kohat, Bannu, and DI Khan divisions, along with the regional police officers of the concerned districts, to appear in court. He questioned why safety measures, such as the timely delivery of life jackets and drones for rescue efforts, were not implemented. “Why was there a delay in rescue operations? Who is responsible for monitoring river safety?” he asked.
The Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shah Faisal Utmankhel, responded that an anti-encroachment operation was underway in Swat. However, the government’s inability to implement prior warnings was also noted, with the Advocate General conceding that he could not confirm the details of enforcement.
Justice Shah termed the tragedy as a result of administrative failure and urged the government to take immediate action. He directed the provincial government to submit a detailed report on the incident and ordered the appearance of the concerned officers in court.
Meanwhile, in another case, the PHC returned a matter concerning the freezing of a Kohistan-based filling station owner’s bank account by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to the Accountability Court for reconsideration. The court ordered that the matter be decided strictly according to the law.
