In a statement apparently intended to convey remorse, Prime Minister Imran Khan caused an outcry on Twitter for linking the 22 deaths in the snowstorm in Murree with the ‘rush of people proceeding [to Murree] without checking weather conditions’, a private TV channel reported. “Shocked and upset at tragic deaths of tourists on road to Murree,” the premier wrote, “Unprecedented snowfall and rush of people proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district administration unprepared.” Many were astounded that the prime minister would place the responsibility of ensuring road safety on the tourists, rather than the government. “Victim blaming right from the top. Yea, guess what happens in peak winter season — snowfall. Guess who needs to prepare for that snowfall,” Ammar Khan tweeted. “So it’s only visitors fault? What’s the mechanism to alert people who enter these areas? No responsibility of the gvt #Murree,” journalist Asma Shirazi tweeted. Just days before the tragedy, Information Minister Fawad Chaudry had seemingly celebrated the government’s achievement of bringing tourism to Murree. “Nearly one lakh vehicles have entered Murree. Rents of hotels and residences have gone up many times. This increase in tourism shows increase in prosperity and income of common man. One hundred big companies have made a profit of Rs. 929 billion this year.
All major media groups account for 33 to 40 percent of profits,” the minister had tweeted on 5 January. Many commenters opined that the government would need to do more to successfully attract tourism to Pakistan and keep tourists out of harm’s way. “This man repeatedly claims to be the biggest environmentalist ever to be born in the country. At the same time, he encourages commercial tourism and development projects in ecologically sensitive areas, and doesn’t know about the climatic conditions just north of the capital,” Dawar Butt tweeted.
