By: Kamran Ali Shah
Peshawar: An application was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday regarding tourists’ safety measures and protective actions along riverbanks.
The application, submitted by Advocate Naeem Ahmed Khattak through Advocate Ali Azeem Afridi, references a tragic incident involving tourists in the Swat River, where 17 tourists lost their lives.
The application highlights that this issue is not exclusive to Swat; there are similar concerns in other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It calls for the government to enhance facilities for tourists and to take urgent steps to secure the riverbanks to protect the public.
The federal and provincial governments, NDMA, the Secretary of Relief, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of Rescue 1122, the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency, and others have been named as parties in the application.
The Peshawar High Court Bar Association has strongly condemned the deaths of tourists in Swat, emphasising that the tragedy resulted from negligence and a lack of timely action by the administration and other responsible institutions.
The Bar Association also urges the district administration and hotel management to provide tourists with necessary precautionary information. Additionally, they call for accountability against those who have shown negligence, including hotel management, and recommend that the government offer financial assistance to the affected families.
