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Political parties and traders united to voice their opposition to the Murree Development Plan introduced by the Pakistan Punjab government, expressing concerns that it could lead to the loss of jobs and livelihoods for local residents, the Dawn reported.
The protest saw participation from political parties such as the PPP and PTI, while the PML-N chose to boycott the event, which the protesters referred to as a 'grand jirga.' Despite Section 144 being imposed in Murree, a large crowd gathered, leading to road blockages lasting three to four hours, according to Dawn. Participants announced a shutter-down strike in Murree on December 27, urging the government to refrain from depriving people of their jobs under the guise of development or seizing local land unjustly. As per the Dawn, following the protest, a committee was formed to develop a joint action plan to pressure the Punjab government into halting the Murree Development Plan. The plan is reportedly set to demolish 200-year-old bazaars in Jhika Gali and The Mall, displacing locals in the name of development. The committee includes members from various groups, including Tufail Ikhlaq and Nasir Abbasi of Anjuman-i-Tajran; Raja Nadeem, Umar Naveed Satti, and Irfan Almas Abbasi from PTI; Nauman Abid Abbasi from Awam Pakistan; Saifullah Saifi from JUI-F; and Murtaza Satti, Mehreen Anwar Raja, and Shafqat Abbasi from PPP, among others. Sadaqat Abbasi, the former PTI MNA from Murree, told Dawn that all parties, except the PML-N, had united with traders and residents to oppose the Murree Development Plan. He argued that the plan was designed to close Murree's century-old bazaars and included the use of Section 4 to forcibly acquire local land. He emphasized that PTI had nominated three individuals for the committee to decide on an action plan, highlighting that the movement was not targeting any specific party, but was instead focused on opposing a policy aimed at dismantling the historic bazaars. He also noted that during PTI's tenure, Murree was granted district status, but the Punjab government had failed to establish a district headquarters hospital in the area. Dawn also noted that during the protest, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi criticized the government's actions, saying that while local residents were restricted from constructing buildings on their own land, elites from other regions were allowed to build in the hill station. He claimed that a "law of the jungle" prevailed in the region, with the provincial government seeking to dismantle the 200-year-old bazaars that supported over eight villages in the district. "What kind of government is this that demolishes buildings and takes away jobs without consulting the people? There is always a solution to everything, and no government can compete with the power of the people," he said, adding that Nawaz Sharif, in contrast, would provide jobs to people rather than taking them away. He urged the government to consult local residents and address their concerns before proceeding with any action in Murree. Other speakers at the protest argued that the government's real aim was to shut down the historic bazaars and pressure shopkeepers and hotel owners into selling their land. They criticized the concentration of development within a three-kilometer radius while neglecting rural areas of Murree. Meanwhile, Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Sherazi told Dawn that the administration did not prevent the protest in Lower Topa. He explained that the protest had been initiated by traders after the government began work to widen and remodel The Mall and Jhika Gali, and address encroachments. He emphasized that the Murree Development Plan was intended to beautify the hill station and attract more visitors, adding that no new taxes or building regulations had been introduced. In June of this year, the Punjab government approved the Murree Development Plan, which also includes the Rawalpindi-Murree tourist glass train project. As part of this initiative, the government decided to relocate hotels from GPO Chowk to a different site, restore the original names of areas and historical buildings, and implement a uniform color scheme for old buildings along The Mall. The plan also included removing multi-storey hotel buildings that obstructed natural views of The Mall, along with amendments to construction by-laws, transferring approval authority to the provincial level. (ANI)
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