Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing on a petition filed seeking to fix the responsibility for the two dozen deaths on snow-covered roads of Murree.
At least 23 people died over the weekend after heavy snow trapped them in their vehicles in the hill station. A policeman, his wife and their six children, as well as another family of five, were among the dead.
Over 20,000 vehicles became stranded as would-be tourists rushed to view the winter snowfall.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Athar Minallah wondered if National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) even held a meeting to discuss the weather forecasts issued by the Met Office and the subsequent influx of tourists.
“There must have been a mechanism to avoid an incident like this,” he added.
He then ordered top officials from the agency to appear before the court to explain their position.
