Tragic deaths

While some people, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, have blamed tourists for overcrowding Murree, one thinks that the tragedy was a result of the relevant authorities’ failure to take necessary actions to help the stranded people in a timely manner. Despite the fact that the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that there would be heavy snowfall in in the area, more than 100,000 vehicles were allowed to enter Murree. Why?

A number of ministers had expressed great pleasure while reporting that such a large number of tourists had been entering Murree. Yet, no one bothered to imagine the difficulties in handling such a big crowd in the forecasted snowfall. While the prime minister has ordered a thorough inquiry into the matter, may I remind him that, in 2014, the prime minister of South Korea tendered his resignation in response to people’s anger against the government for not doing enough to save their loved ones in a ferry sinking accident. An analysis of the causes of this disaster and implementation of subsequent necessary preventive actions is the need of the hour.

Dr Mohammad Saleem

Karachi