Save Murree Hills

How Murree Hills Distorted
A legacy of British period, the colonial architecture has been spoiled during the era of two Nazim of Murree. The beauty of Murree hills spoiled and damaged due to the alleged illegal construction of hotels for greed. During the British time, one side of The Mall was declared ‘green belt’ and all kinds of constructions were prohibited to save the belt, and the ban is still in place. The installation of bogus board outside the under-construction hotel encouraged illegal constructions in Murree.The calmness, serenity and fresh air, once associated with the hill station, are no longer available there, because of single person who laid the stone of illegal buildings in 1999 and perfect precedence for other to fallow “roll model”.During Nawaz regime, the Khurshid Abbasi submitted a plan to construct twelve story building to boost tourism. Local Municipal authority, out rightly rejected its proposal but the intelligent device a unique mechanism to construct its hotel “Unique height” by executing work after officer hours and during holidays. By this way he managed to complete the seven storey Hotel.When Nawaz Sharif came to know about this irregularity, he instructed the local authorities to demolish the first illegal building immediately. Khurshid Abbasi, with delay approached the court of laws, first civil judge, civil court rejected his appeal and then he proceeded to higher courts ….. finally his case was reached to supreme court of Pakistan.Supreme court of Pakistan of constituted a full bench comprising Mr. Nasir Aslam, Muawar Ahmed Mirza and Abdur rehman khan against the appeal Civil Petition number 1029 of 1999 .The full bench deiced the case in favor of Municipal committee Murree and ordered to demolish is hotel. The history of whole case was published in Pakistan Laws Journal [the official gazette of GOP] under the title PLJ 2000 SC 1085. But unfortunately after few months General Musharraf took the charge as CEO of the country and Khurshid Abbasi was the most jubilant person.
. Later same Khurshid Abbasi became the Naizm of Murree. Khurshid Abbasi completed his hotel “Unique Heights” immediately resumed construction, completed it and is running it as a business venture - in gross violation both of the Buildings Act as well as the Supreme Court orders, demonstrating not only contempt for the law but also contempt of Court Naib Nazim Murree, once reminded him about Naib Nazim Murree, once reminded him about illegal construction [letter attached]
It is interesting to note that on one hand large scale irregularities were committed, and on the other, the TMA allowed the owner of the building in question to lay the sewerage line by digging up. It would be the test case for the TMA whether it takes action against 162 buildings declared dangerous and illegally constructed by the administration itself as the Supreme Court had ordered to demolish them within a period of two months in the Human Right Case (No.4494/2006) filed by Rado.According to building by-laws did not permit to raise any construction above two-storey in Murree, as it was deemed unsafe for the human beings and environment of the popular hill station.
It is mentioned here that a large number of illegal buildings were constructed during the last eight years with the connivance of the staff and authorities of TMA.
Violation of Building Bye Laws in Murree
The beautiful and scenic city of murree which has been brutally ruined by the past Tehsil Municipal Administration is portraying a horrible picture now a days. The Supreme court of Pakistan passed an order of demolishing the illegally constructed buildings, raised in violation of building bye laws, by TMA within a period of 3 months, during the year 2006,w.e.f the judgment day and report back to the Registrar SC, to implement the supremacy of law.
Unfortunately after departure of the then CJ Mr Iftikhar Ch. On 9th March 2007, the case was manipulated by the Tehsil Nazim Sardar Saleem to the effect that a judgment was passed by the double bench setting aside the case on pretext that matter would be probed as and when required.
This state of affairs has led the beautiful city and its stake holders to an uncertain destiny where there is no way not only to demolish the buildings but also to stop new mush room growth of concrete structures.
The current government of the Punjab also seems helpless, as the pace of growth of buildings is yet the same as to the past, perhaps due to the influential personnel of the present regime of PMLN in Punjab. The British architecture of the city which was already at the end, seems to eliminate fully by the coming days. This scenario is demanding the stake holders in the Pakistan specifically and in the world generally to give it a serious thought and formulate a movement to fix up the forces involved in illegal construction and to save the natural beauty of the queen.