Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday took suomotu notice of the cutting of 2,200 trees to extend a road in Balochistan.

According to a statement issued bythe Supreme Court spokesperson, the notice is taken on an application whereby it was stated that a 10-kilometer Pishin-Yaroo Link Road, District Pishin, Balochistan is being widened and has caused threat to about 2,200 green trees on both sides of the road.

The letter, however, suggested that these trees could be saved by earmarking an alternate route.

“But none of the departments working on the project took pains to save the trees which are no less an asset in droughty and hilly areas of Baluchistan,” the letter regretted to inform.

According to a press statement, reports were demanded from the departments concerned, including the Communication and Works, Forest, Environmental Protection Agency and thePishinadministration.

Finding the reports unsatisfactory, the CJP directed the office to treat the matter as suomotunotice under Article 184(3) of the constitution and fix itin the court for hearing.

“Deforestation is not only a loss in terms of money to the public exchequer but is also a dangerous cause for climate change, which is taking a toll on the lives of billions of peoples in the region and the world as a whole,” SC Justice Dost Muhammad Khanobserved while authoring a judgement in February in a case regarding illegal tree cutting.

Likewise, in one of the instances, former CJP Anwar Jamali had taken notice of a May-19 television talk show which highlighted the quarrying limestone and feeding cement factories by a mafia.

The talk show disclosed that illegal stone blasting and crushing had been going on unabated and unchecked for 35 years in the Union Council Lora of Abbottabad district, destroying the green hills.

During the previous hearing of the said suomotu, a three-member bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, noted that illegal deforestation and stone crushing had been continuing despite court’s order.

Justice Saeed had expressed anguish and observed that the reports, submitted by law officers, were not a solution to the problems. He added that the court needed a reply on single paper. He had further observed that the illegal deforestation and quarrying of stones in Margalla Hills had been established despite court orders.