Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took notice of illegal construction in various areas of Murree tehsil.

Justice Nisar issued directions in this regard to the director general of the Human Rights Cell.

"Murree too is becoming a Raja Bazaar," the chief justice remarked, in reference to the commercial and shopping district of Rawalpindi.

He directed officials to find out from relevant departments how many illegal constructions had been set up in Murree and submit a report in this regard to the court.

Justice Nisar took notice of the issue while hearing an application filed by an officer deployed in Murree.

An officer had earlier been fired for negligence in the matter of illegal construction.

Illegal construction, deforestation and alleged encroachment continue in various areas of Murree tehsil in violation of Supreme Court’s order, Dawn reported earlier this month.

Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, on Oct 20 had imposed a 20-day ban on all kinds of construction, including development projects and housing schemes, in the national park areas of Murree, Kotli Sattian and Kahuta, asking the authorities to present a comprehensive compliant report on next date of hearing on Nov 9.

There is no letup in construction and levelling of land by housing societies along Expressway and Islamabad-Murree Kashmir highway.

Town Municipal Administration (TMA) had already declared these housing societies, set up in sheer violation of bylaw, illegal.

TMA has published a list of 30 such housing societies for the people to keep them from investing in them. But these housing societies had already denuded a vast area of forest land.

Divisional Forest Officer Murree Wajeehudeen Ahmad had told Dawn that about 12,384 kanals forest land was encroached upon by housing societies and others in Murree Forest Division.

He said that all efforts were being made to retrieve the land but the people who allegedly encroached upon the land had moved courts.