ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Friday criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for cutting down trees. During discussion on a call attention notice, lawmakers assailed the CDA over the cutting of 30-40 years old trees to widen roads in Islamabad and termed it a crime. The CDA had cut down a large number of trees planted alongside the Attaturk Avenue, commonly known as Embassy Road, for widening the road. The civil society, environmentalists and media is already criticising the city managers on said issue and now the lawmakers have also expressed deep concern over cutting trees at Embassy Road in Islamabad. MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan of the JUI-F said that chopping down the trees in the capital territory was a crime of a serious nature. “CDA should be questioned as on whose orders these trees were cut down,” she said. Parliamentary Secretary on the Interior Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla made a statement on the issue. He responded that CDA had cut down 245 trees. “However, 200 trees have already been planted. A total of 2,450 trees will be planted against 245 trees,” he said. Dhandla also stated that under an accord, 10 trees must be planted in place of cutting down one. Kishwar Khan said that the trees that had been cut down were 30 to 40 year old. She questioned whether the CDA had any machinery to shift the trees from one place to other instead of cutting them down. The lawmaker expressed concern over the issue of smog and said that still trees were being cut down despite witnessing the phenomenon of smog over the city. She said that on the one side, money was being spent on projects like ‘Green Pakistan’ and on other hand trees were cut down. Another call attention notice pertaining to announcement of the technical committee of Indus River System Authority regarding 36 percent of shortage of water could not be taken up. A female lawmaker of PTI pointed out the quorum at around 11:05 am that led to the suspension of the proceedings for 30 minutes. However, the quorum was found incomplete on resumption of the proceedings that led to the adjournment of the sitting till Monday November 20, 2017 at 4pm. The National Assembly met for around an hour and the speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq presided over the sitting for around 10 minutes while a member of the Panel of chairpersons presided the rest of the proceedings. The leader of the house (prime minister) and the leader of the opposition did not attend the sitting. Separately, Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz had said that the Metropolitan Corporation (MCI) would provide state of the art facilities to the emerging players of various sports from the capital city. He expressed these views while awarding prizes to Islamabad’s bodybuilders, who had won gold medals in Asian Bodybuilding Championship held at Singapore. On the occasion, Union Council I-9 Chairman Sardar Mehtab, G-8 Union Council Chairman Raja Waheedul Hassan, representatives of traders of G-9 Karachi Company and elected representatives from various union councils were also present. Sheikh Anser Aziz said that youth of Islamabad had talent and MCI would take all possible steps to promote this talent. He said that in order to promote different sports like bodybuilding, MCI in collaboration with private sector, facilities are being improved in federal capital. The CDA chairman said that libraries and fitness centers situated in various sectors of Islamabad would be upgraded and made functional with the help of local elected representatives of respected union councils. Published in Daily Times, November 18th 2017.