Opposition leaders, Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari among others, censured the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government on Saturday over its response to the tragedy in which more than two dozen precious lives were lost in Murree.
President of Pakistan Muslim League-N Mian Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow and in a tweet, said “my profound condolences and sympathies are with the bereaved families. May Allah rest the departed souls in peace”.
Shehbaz Sharif said that the deaths of the tourists in Murree was a tragic incident and the government’s administrative incompetence and criminal negligence was to blame for it.
He blamed government for the tragedy and asked where the government was all the while and what arrangements did it make to deal with such an influx.
Incompetence is fast turning into criminality, he added. Mian further said that prior arrangements and round the clock supervision were the normal SOPs in the past.
Expressing grief over the deaths of the tourists, Sharif questioned why the people were not rescued and taken to safe places “when the government knew that the citizens were trapped in this bitter cold. He said the incident was a sign that the government did even not have the administrative capacity to manage traffic in Murree and Galyat areas.
He said, “Why does the government have the right to stay in power if it does not have the capacity to manage even a thousand vehicles?
“Imran Niazi does not have moral courage,” he said, calling for dismissal of “the minister and his subordinates responsible for this serious criminal negligence”. “Someone should be held responsible for this unjust calamity,” he said.
The opposition leader added that the government’s criminal silence on the incident was tantamount to committing a cardinal sin.
“This is not death; this is murder!” he remarked. Terming the incident as “criminal negligence” on part of the administration, Shahbaz said the event has exposed the incumbent government, which “cannot even handle a traffic situation”.
The PML-N president questioned when the government “knew” that such heavy snowfall would hit the area, why did it not make arrangements to save the people.
“Does this government deserve to be in power if it cannot handle 1,000 cars? If tourists were headed towards [Murree].
