Murree tourism police to be launched today

First batch of 100 trained personnel will be deployed to facilitate tourists

RAWALPINDI:

The Murree tourism police will be formally launched on Saturday (today).

The first batch of 100 trained tourism police officers will begin providing services to tourists visiting Murree.

Regional Police Officer Ashfaq Ahmed Khan and City Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik will be the special guests at the launch of the tourism police at GPO Chowk Murree.

Due to the political uncertainty in Punjab, no political figures had been invited to the launching ceremony, according to the police.

According to officials, the tourism police will be equipped with modern gadgets and four-by-four vehicles. Superintendent of Police Kohsar will be in charge of the tourism police. Tourism police officers will wear a special type of jacket, and the reflective features allow personnel to be seen even in the dark of night and in extremely severe weather conditions.

Police officials said the tourism police was being launched after the Murree tragedy. The tourism police will initially be deployed at places in Murree where there is an unusual rush of tourists and snowfall creates difficulties for tourists. In the next phase, the tourism police would be stationed at tourist spots in Kotli Sattian. A separate control centre has also been set up for the tourism police, the highway department, Rescue 1122, the district police, WAPDA, traffic police and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

Court reserves verdict in Murree tragedy case

Meanwhile, Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench Judge Chaudhry Abdul Aziz reserved judgment after arguments were concluded on petitions related to the Murree tragedy. The judgment will be announced on May 6.

During the hearing, Justice Abdul Aziz said that the anti-corruption director-general would also be summoned during the court verdict to take action against departments for negligence and violations.

Representatives of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Murree, the Environment Protection Agency Punjab and traffic police appeared in the court during the hearing of the case.

The court observed that the Punjab Environment Department was responsible for the downfall of the environment in Murree.

The judge said that construction was also taking place in Rawalpindi on agricultural lands. The court observed that due to the lack of proper sewerage system in Murree, Rawal and Simli dams have become polluted. Water sports have also come to an end due to pollution in Rawal dam. A treatment plant does not cost more than a bulletproof vehicle of a politician or a bureaucrat, the judge said.

The judge observed that for the construction of commercial projects, a no-objection certificate has to be obtained from seven departments including the environment department. At this, the Punjab Environment Department deputy director said that the local government approves the site plans on its own and they were not even consulted.

He said that advice had been issued for establishing treatment plants in Murree which is not being implemented. The court adjourned the hearing till May 6 after the completion of arguments.

On January 7, at least 24 people including children were killed after they were stuck in the snow.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2022.