During a hearing about the recent drowning tragedy in Swat, Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Faheem Wali called senior officials from Malakand, Hazara, Kohat, and Dera Ismail Khan to appear in court.
The court was very upset that tourists were not rescued in time when the water level in the Swat River suddenly rose.
Chief Justice asked, “Seventeen people died because of carelessness. Why weren’t they rescued quickly? Why didn’t the government use drones to drop life jackets?”
The Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the court that an anti-encroachment drive has started in Swat. He also said an air ambulance was available, but couldn’t be used in time.
Swat Drowning Incident: Court Summons Officials, Seeks Answers
The Irrigation Department said in a report that the river water rose very fast, but warnings had already been sent to other departments.
Chief Justice Atiq Shah was unhappy that no action was taken despite the warnings.
The court ordered the authorities to give a full report on the incident and postponed the hearing until Thursday.
Earlier, a citizen filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), asking for a judicial commission to investigate the drowning incident.
The petition says the tragedy happened because of the local administration’s negligence. It also claims rescue teams had no proper equipment, and that rescue vehicles were used for political purposes.
The petition further alleges that heavy rescue machinery was taken away during a protest in Islamabad and wasn’t available during the emergency in Swat.
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