By Amjad Butt, Murree

According to official statistics from 2023, the total population of the fifteen Union Councils of Tehsil Murree was 252,526. When overseas residents and births registered up to 2026 are included, the population rises to approximately 325,000. Similarly, Tehsil Kotli Sattian’s nine Union Councils had a population of 120,421 in 2023, which now exceeds 150,000 when updated figures are considered. Altogether, District Murree’s population is estimated at nearly 475,000.

When Murree was granted district status in October 2022, the goals included improved administration, enhanced tourism facilities, and better public safety. Plans were made to establish 31 new government departments with 3,600 appointments.

Since 2023, Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi has overseen significant improvements across multiple departments, including revenue, health, education, traffic management, tourism, rescue services, water supply, forests, agriculture, and social welfare.

Particularly notable are reforms in the health sector. Measures were introduced to ensure doctors’ attendance through GPS-based monitoring, prevent corruption, secure timely salaries for staff, improve hospital services, establish a mosque at THQ Hospital Murree, ensure availability of essential medicines, and facilitate free treatment for the underprivileged.

Under his supervision, illegal encroachments were removed, emergency management during snowfall improved, fire safety hydrants installed, dengue campaigns launched, and infrastructure projects completed.

The writer argues that such governance reflects integrity, accessibility, and commitment to public welfare  qualities rarely witnessed in previous decades.

The article concludes with prayers that the administration continues on the path of honesty and public service, and with constructive suggestions to reclaim health department land and revive non-functional dispensaries to further improve healthcare access in the district.