Murree hotel owners respond to price hike allegations

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Murree Hotel Association president Raja Irfan has dismissed the claim that tourists have died in Murree because hotel owners charge exorbitant rent for rooms. He also claimed that people turned on the heating in their cars and played with the windows closed, which resulted in their deaths.

“People weren’t ready to give up their cars, that’s why less people died from the cold and more from suffocation,” he said on SAMAA’s Naya Din show. TV.

At least 22 people have died of cold and asphyxiation in Murree after being stranded in their car during a snowstorm on Friday evening. Many tourists who returned from the hill station said hotel owners had increased accommodation costs, forcing people to stay overnight in their cars.

However, Irfan said this and all of these claims were without merit.

“The owners who had high-end suites charged Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000, although these charges are still high,” he agreed.

“We had asked all registered hotels to provide free food and accommodation and we tried to facilitate as many people as possible.”

He refuted claims that locals were asking people for money, adding that locals had come to help before the army was even called in.

According to Irfan, 35 to 40% of hotel owners are from other cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi.

When asked if people were charged Rs200 for a single egg, he said it was possible that some dhabas overcharged people.

“There are Pathan children who sell eggs in buckets. We cannot verify what they are doing.

He rejected claims that people had died near hotels and that the owners did not come to their aid.

“All of the deaths have occurred in deserted areas. These regions are cold even during summers. There are no hotels around.

Tourists empower hoteliers

Speaking to SAMAA TV on Sunday, tourists said accommodation costs had increased from Rs 6,000 ($ 34) to Rs 70,000 ($ 398) per room.

Some tourists said food prices have also skyrocketed in the region, especially due to the extreme weather conditions.

A packet of cookies worth Rs10 was sold for Rs300, while a small bottle of water was sold for up to Rs300, they said.

Major axes cleared

Almost all tourists left the hill station on Sunday evening after the main roads reopened.

According to NDMA chairman Lt. Gen. Akhtar Nawaz, 600 to 700 vehicles were evacuated. More than 5,000 cars left Murree by noon on Sunday, he told SAMAA TV.

Inasmuch as

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