any residents of Murree are currently holding protest demonstrations against the Murree Development Plan.

The demonstrators, belonging to various political and social segments, have come together to decry the implementation of the plan aimed at ‘beautification’ of the hill station. The police have now started lodging anti-terrorism cases against the protestors.

The issue began several weeks ago after the Punjab government started work on its Murree Development Plan. The provincial government directed relevant local authorities to eliminate encroachments and demolish high-rise buildings on The Mall.

Those opposed to the plan, mostly local businessmen andtheir politicalallies, announced a grand gathering last week.The administration tried to preventit by invoking Section 144.

“It was a peaceful protest.The government is unfairly victimisingits opponents. This plan will result in the demolition of many buildings and claim the livelihoods of thousands of people,” Hameed Abbasi, a trader who will be affected by the plan, tells The News on Sunday.

“There has been no (prior) consultation with those affected by the plan. We aren’t even sure whether the government will compensate us after demolishing our properties,” he says. “The government is harassing the business community and lodging criminal cases against the protestors to silence them,” he says.

Some political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami, JamiatUlema-i-Islam and traders’ organisations have joined hands against the MDP under the banner of Joint Action Committee.

“This plan will result in the demolition of many buildings and claim the livelihoods of thousands of people,” Hameed Abbasi, a local trader who will be affected by the plan, tells The News on Sunday.

Last week, a large number of people joined a protest demonstration staged in spite of Section 144.

“This is what re-modelling without local input looks like. Funds should not be spent without the community’s consent and consultation,” former prime ministerShahidKhaqanAbbasi said. He also expressed solidarity with the protestors.

He regretted that it appeared that while old residents of Murreewere not allowed to construct buildings as they pleased, people from other parts of the country were allowed to come to the hill station and construct buildings.

The former prime minister said this was the first time Section 144 had been in Murree to block a peaceful protest. “People have serious reservations.Those must be addressed,” he said.

“We are not opposed to peaceful protest. The protests began when the government sought to widen and remodel The Mall and JhikaGali by removing encroachments,” says Deputy Commissioner Agha ZaheerSherazi. “The government plans to make Murree more beautiful and attractive to tourists,” he says.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had approved the Murree Development Plan earlier in June. The plan includes development, new construction, beautification, improved transport infrastructure and rehabilitation projects.

“This is what re-modelling without local input looks like. Funds should not be spent without community consent and consultation.”

The plan also includes expansion of roads and demolition of some high-rise hotel buildings blocking the view of natural scenery from The Mall. The hotels are to be relocated from GPO Chowk to an alternative location to make The Mall more beautiful. All illegal constructed buildings are to be demolished.

MDP includes expansion of old Rawalpindi-Murree-Kashmir Road, remodeling of JhikaGaliChowk, removal of encroachments and construction and restoration of Lawrence College Road, BoostalMor to Brewery Road.

Business community and traders fear that the plan will affect many old bazaars in JhikaGali and The Mall, costing the locals jobs and livelihoods.

According to some estimates, one million people visit Murree every year, mainly in winter.

The protesters have called for a shutter-down strike on December 27. The traders have recently formed a committee to intensify the protests.

The author is a staff reporter. He can be reached at vaqargillani@gmail.com. He tweets at @waqargillani