ABBOTTABAD: A Pakistani-Canadian environmentalist has threatened to go on hunger strike till death against what he calls destruction of green areas in Abbottabad city.

Mehmood Aslam told journalists here on Tuesday that he would stage a hunger strike camp outside Parliament House if authorities failed to stop destruction of Abbottabad in the name of development and save green areas of the city.

He claimed that Cantonment Board Abbottabad had no legal authority to destroy the green areas and construct shops in front of Abbottabad Christian School and FG schools for boys and girls.

Mr Aslam said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Ali Asghar Khan had planned to build a multi-storey plaza in residential area in violation of cantonment laws. He said that he challenged construction of plazas in a court.

A commission, formed by the bench, visited the site where Cantonment Board had planned to construct buildings, he added. The environmentalist alleged authorities uprooted and destroyed hundreds of trees in front of Abbottabad Christian School and girls’ hostel.

He said that only few green spots were left in the cantonment area but the officials of Cantonment Board had planned to destroy those and construct shopping malls and plazas there.

Mr Aslam said that it was a matter of great concern for environmentalists as it would destroy natural beauty Abbottabad. He said that he would approach every forum to preserve natural beauty of Abbottabad.

The environmentalist said that according to laws Cantonment Board was required to hold public hearing and make consultations with citizens of the area before initiating such major projects.

Mr Aslam threatened to go on hunger strike till death if authorities failed to stop what he called destruction of green areas in Abbottabad.

He said that according to a policy, chalked out by ministry of defence, no commercial plazas could be built in the residential areas of Abbottabad Cantonment.