ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: The Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production has expressed concern over the environmental impact of the expansion of Chinar Golf Club in Bhurban, according to a press release.

The committee, which met here on Wednesday with Nisar A. Memon in the chair, discussed the issue of alleged illegal occupation of a woodland by defence authorities and the deforestation caused by the construction of huts there for commercial purposes.

The press release said that the committee members observed that laws of the land had been bypassed and public interests visibly ignored in this matter.

However, representative of the General Headquarters’ QMG branch informed the meeting that only bare minimum trees were removed in the case of Chinar Golf Club and that those were either dying due to some disease or had fallen due to climatic conditions.

He said extensive plantation had been carried out and the number of trees so planted was much more than that of those removed.

He said that no commercial activity was going on at the site and all buildings had been constructed to promote tourism and facilitate golfers.

On the occasion, Senator Rukhsana Zuberi referred to press reports regarding allotment of the parking area at the National Stadium Karachi for residential purposes and said that it was causing great inconvenience to the general public.

The representative of the GHQ said the National Stadium Colony had been established under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.

He informed the meeting that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had discontinued the practice of leasing out army’s land for commercial or residential activities.

The committee chairman, Nisar A. Memon, gave one month’s time to the Ministry of Defence and QMG Branch of the GHQ to furnish written replies to the questions raised by members.

The meeting was attended besides others by Deputy Chairman Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Syed Dilawar Abbas, Rukhsana Zuberi, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Asif Jatoi and Naeem Hussain Chatha.