The Murree assistant commissioner has sealed 15 hotels in Murree after they were found to be overcharging tourists stranded in the hill station during the weekend blizzard that left more than 20 people dead.
According to a statement released by the Rawalpindi district administration, the action was taken after accounts of the high hotel prices went viral on social media and complaints were filed a the Murree control room.
Some posts on social media claimed that tourists were forced to sleep in their cars overnight because of the hotels’ price spikes. Others alleged that one hotel was charging Rs.20,000 a night, while at another hotel, prices were raised from Rs.6,000 to Rs.70,000 per night.
Similar accounts reported that food prices had also increased in the area, noting that shops and restaurants were charging Rs.300 for a small water bottle, Rs.250 for a single boiled egg, and biscuits usually priced at Rs.10 for Rs.300.
The sealed hotels are located along Abu Dhabi Road, Kuldana Road, Upper Jhika Gali Road and Bank Road.
The shocking deaths in Murree over the weekend of 23 people highlighted the administrative failures to maintain the infrastructure of the hillside tourist destination. An initial report had found that roads in Murree had not been repaired for at least two years. Additionally, the report indicated that the local administration did not have available snow removal trucks ready at its disposal.
