Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday reprimanded the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and held it and the state responsible for the Murree tragedy.

As many as 23 people, including children, died in Murree last week as heavy snow lashed the hill station, turning family vacations into a tragedy.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a petition filed by Hammad Abbasi, a Murree resident, seeking action against those responsible for the tragedy.

Abbasi said he went to Murree on January 7 and that when tourists were going to the hill station, neither were they stopped nor was there any warning of the danger.

Justice Minallah called a member of the NDMA to the rostrum and asked him when the last meeting of the NDMC was held. The official told the court that a meeting took place on February 21, 2013, and the last meeting was held on March 28, 2018.

After hearing the NDMA member’s response, Justice Minallah said all people concerned were part of the commission, says a news report.

“It is a powerful body. How come no meeting took place since 2018,” the IHC CJ questioned.

The prime minister, leaders of the opposition in the Senate and National Assembly, ministers for foreign affairs, defence, health, interior, finance, communication, welfare and special education, communication, governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chief ministers of all the provinces, AJK prime minister, chief minister Gilgit Baltistan, chairman JCSC, and chairman NDMA are part of the commission.

The court asked the NDMA member whether a letter had been written to the opposition leader to call a meeting of the Commission. At this, the official said the opposition leader had not asked them to call a meeting.

“Could there be a more powerful body than this? Has the DG NDMA once written a letter to the government and informed them that if a calamity occurs, we will be responsible for it?” he asked.