Swat flood probe widened, PHC told

Court informed more investigation needed to fix responsibility for 17 tourist deaths

PESHAWAR:

Peshawar High Court on Thursday was informed that further investigation was needed to fix responsibility for the Swat flash floods tragedy.

The court was told that the Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) initially recommended for action was neither posted in the relevant area nor responsible for the incident, as he had not issued any no-objection certificate (NOC).

During the hearing, the Special Secretary Local Government told the court that the provincial inspection team's inquiry into the drowning of 17 people in a flash flood in Swat required further investigation to correctly identify those responsible. He said inquiries were also necessary into the Communication and Works (C&W) and Irrigation departments, as the land on which the hotels were constructed belonged to the Irrigation Department, while the adjoining road fell under the jurisdiction of the C&W Department.

The court directed that the matter be brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and that the court be kept informed in writing about further developments.

Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah, who headed a two-member bench along with Justice Ijaz Khan, remarked that the incident was a "huge and heartbreaking tragedy," noting that family members drowned before each other's eyes. He said such incidents could happen to anyone and stressed the need for a thorough probe to fix responsibility for negligence. The chief justice advised the authorities to formally approach the chief secretary for further investigations and ensure that all relevant departments were included.

The hearing was conducted on petitions filed against the drowning of 17 tourists in River Swat due to flash floods and the failure to rescue them in time. Appearing before the court were Special Secretary Local Government Arshad Ali, Deputy Attorney General Gauharur Rehman Khattak, Assistant Advocate General Riaz Painda Khail, petitioner Amir Alam's counsel Babar Khan Yousafzai, amicus curiae Sikandar Rasheed Advocate, and other lawyers.