Pakistani Military establishment, top brasses responsible for Murree tragedy: Altaf Hussain

Muttahidda Qaumi Movement's (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has said that the responsibility for the mass killings in the Murree tragedy in Pakistan lies with the army generals and senior officers.

"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 said.

Pakistan's popular hill station Murree was declared a calamity-hit area after 23 people, froze to death in their stranded vehicles due to unprecedented snowfall and rush of tourists.

Addressing MQM workers on Saturday night, the chief expressed his heartfelt condolences over the deaths in the Murree tragedy. He said that it was a great tragedy that could be prevented.

"The sheer regrets can't reverse the colossal loss for which the corrupt military generals and administration was solely responsible," he added.

Hussain said that the details of the Murree tragedy were "extremely tragic and painful. People were trapped in vehicles for hours due to the heavy snowfall. "They had been calling the emergency numbers of the government and administration and senior officials but the government, administration and army didn't come to rescue as a result of which many innocent people died and a great human tragedy took place in the country," the MQM leader said.

Asserting that it is another tragedy, Altaf Hussain said: "For more than 20 hours, everyone was calling for help. Why the army generals, senior officers and personnel, their helicopters, heavy vehicles and machinery didn't help the citizens trapped in the snow? Why didn't the army move yesterday, in spite of the army cantonment located at a walking distance?"

Hussain said that whenever there is a natural calamity or a tragedy all over the world, the army there comes to the rescue of its citizens instantly but not in Pakistan.

"Why the army did not move yesterday to save the lives of the citizens trapped in snow in Murree? The army carries 90 per cent of the country's budget in the name of defense. It was their responsibility to save the civilians. Where was the national and provincial disaster management authorities? Where was the government and administration?" he said.

The MQM founder also said that as a result of this criminal negligence, the responsibility for the mass killings in the Murree tragedy lies with the army generals and senior officers who did not save the civilians in spite of all resources and authority.

( With inputs from ANI )

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