Several people protested against the Punjab government’s ‘Murree Development Plan’ on Saturday at the city’s Lower Topa area, despite a ban on public gatherings.

Protesters demanded the “immediate” re-modelling of the Jheeka Gali market and the removal of Section 4 on Mall Road.

While addressing the demonstrators, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that all parties, except the government, were present at the Murree Grand Jirga and that local residents were protesting to assert their rights.

He questioned the “legality” of the government’s actions, asking, “Under what law are you demolishing people’s buildings?” The former prime minister accused the government of imposing a “law of the jungle” and urged them to address the people’s concerns and involve citizens in the decision-making process.

“Is demolishing people’s buildings part of Murree’s development?” he asked.

Abbasi noted that Section 144 had never been imposed in Murree before and criticised the government for making constitutional amendments in “secrecy”. He warned that if citizens’ rights are not protected, “they know how to claim them.”