ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took notice on Monday of fires in the Margalla Hills.

He issued notices to the attorney general, the environment secretary, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) secretary, mayor, CDA chairman and chief commissioner. The court has fixed the matter for hearing on June 7.

Fires break out in the hills every year, and every time it is claimed that a mafia that chops trees throughout the winter sets trees on fire in the summer to make it seem like the trees were burned and not stolen.

However, this year a fire could not be extinguished for nearly 10 days. No efforts were made to put the fire out for nearly a week before a helicopter was finally arranged to extinguish it.

A case has been registered with Kohsar police against unidentified individuals who allegedly caused the fire. The FIR said two previous attempts to set fire to the hills had been foiled by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board. It said two people on a motorcycle set fire to the Margalla Hills National Park near Talhar Mor.

Citizens also protested the lack of response to the fire on June 2 and demanded an inquiry.

The chief justice has also taken notice of water shortage and fixed the matter in court with regards to the problem in Islamabad, and subsequently at respective branch registries with regard to water shortages in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.

The matter of water scarcity in Islamabad has been fixed in court on June 7.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018