MQM leader slams Pakistan Army over Murree tragedy

“None except the corrupt and ghoulish military establishment has brought devastation in every section of life. The top military brass is involved in minting money and ransacking the taxpayers money from both hands. The Murree tragedy could be prevented but these corrupt military generals of the ghoulish Pakistani army kept them drowned in expanding their authoritative bullies while half-covered Murree Cantonment was slipping into nightmare and the civilians were left on the cruelty in the smothering chilling weather,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Pakistan's Opposition party leaders have slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government over the deaths of tourists in Murree due to heavy snowfall and traffic congestion, media reported on Sunday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif said the incident was the result of criminal negligence of administration and it exposed the ruling government's inefficiency in handling a traffic situation.

"It is a tragic incident of administrative incompetence and criminal negligence. It is a proof of the administrative incapacity of the PTI government that it is not even able to manage traffic in Murree and Galyat," he said, adding when the government knew citizens were trapped in such a cold weather, why no effort was made to rescue them and provide them shelters?

Shehbaz said, "If the government is not capable of managing even a traffic situation, what right does it have to stay in power and why? If tourists were going in such large numbers, why were advance arrangements not made? Were the administrations asleep? How can a government that can’t save its citizens trapped in a traffic jam, get the people out of the quagmire of inflation and deal with the big and serious problems of the country?"

"Imran Niazi has no moral courage. At least the ministers and their subordinates responsible for this serious criminal negligence should be dismissed. If no one will be held responsible for this calamity, the government’s criminal silence over the deaths of the people is tantamount to a heinous sin," Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Expressing his sorrow over the incident, Geo News quoted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as saying, "It would have been better had [the administration] informed the tourists about the weather situation in Murree [...] the administration should immediately begin rescue services for the tourists."

Maryam Nawaz, PML-N vice president, said: "I have never seen such chaos, apathy, incompetence and most importantly a government that has nothing to do with the misery of people. What is most shocking though is not only the dismissive attitude but the contempt and scorn they pour on the victims."

According to the latest report, over 20 tourists were killed due to heavy snowfall in Murree.