ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the federal government to answer to the allegations leveled in an application about unchecked cutting of trees in the National Park area in the federal capital.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, decided to issue notice to the federal government with a direction to submit a detailed reply to the application which was moved by former deputy attorney general Dil Mohammad Alizai.

The court had taken up a suo motu case regarding the continued quarrying in the Margalla Hills National Park, which was highlighted in a May 19 TV talk-show.

The TV report showed unabated cutting of trees in the union council Lora in Abbottabad for the last 35 years without any check, adversely damaging the green character of the hilly area.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Mohammad Waqar Rana represented the federal government.

Mr Alizai told Dawn that he had moved the application with the court after getting disappointed with the performance of the government departments concerned.

Mr Alizai in his application named the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the forest department of Punjab as the respondents.

The applicant, who lives near Bhara Kahu, said it had become routine that some people came to the forest area in the darkness of night to fell trees.

Though these people continued cutting the trees, no one ever bothered to take action against them and protect the green areas from denudation.

In addition to the jungle area near his house, Mr Alizai explained, he also often witnessed cutting of trees in the Convention Centre up to Bhara Kahu.

He requested the court to order an inquiry to ascertain since how long this exercise of unabated cutting of trees had been going on and also to determine the extent of damage to the forest area.

He also sought a direction for the government to explain what measures it had taken to discourage such practices.

Referring to the stone crushing activities, Director General Mines Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assured the court that no illegal rock crushing activity was going on in the province and in case of any complaints raids were carried out to check the illegal activities of quarrying.

But the bench lamented that an earlier court order was not being implemented. The court postponed further proceedings till Oct 19.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2016