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Efforts afoot to rehabilitate Murree fire victims: CE

MURREE: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf said here on Saturday that Murree was a major tourist attraction and efforts were afoot to restore the hustle and bustle of the Mall, where dozens of shops, godowns and residences were gutted on Tuesday.

General Musharraf, accompanied by senior Army officers, visited the area and met the victims of fire.

Addressing on the occasion, he stressed the need for having a reliable and standard fire-fighting system, to meet any eventuality at this popular hill resort.

In this connection, he urged the big business concerns and shops to join hands and enter into insurance system and set up better fire-fighting arrangement.

In the fire incident, some 13 houses, 12 shops and cabins, four godowns and office of the Allied Bank Ltd and Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank were gutted, fire-fighter Zahid died while two persons, Rashid and Arshad received burn injuries in the fire incident.

On the occasion, the Chief Executive announced raise in rehabilitation grant for the victims from Rs. 5 million to Rs. 6 million.

He said provision of long-term loans on easy instalments to the victims would be considered.

He assured that on its part the government is rendering due help to rehabilitate the affected people of fire and restore the glittering and beaming look of the Mall.

The victims on the occasion praised the prompt rescue and fire-fighting work rendered by the Murree Municipal Committee, and fire brigade units of Air Force Lower Toppa and the fire fighters rushed from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

In an informal chat with local newsmen, the Chief Executive said that reactivation of the old system of ponds and hydrants would be examined.

Later, the Chief Executive, along with senior Army officers, walked up to the Hill Station Headquarters.

In Murree, the weather remains dry and chilly, in minus degree centigrades, but the hill resort has not so far experienced snowfall of this season and remains without wet spell. The Met Office has forecast cloudy weather with chances of rains during the next few days. APP