ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: The government prevented initiation of work on Pakistan Army Housing Scheme on forest land measuring 10,000 hectares in Bhakkar.

This was disclosed by Federal Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi while responding to questions in the Senate during the question hour on Thursday.

He said for the first time the environment ministry had gathered official information on non-forestry uses of forest land in all the four provinces, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir. He said the ministry was in the process of putting up a summary to the cabinet to stop conversion of forest land for non-forestry uses.

He said land measuring 155,915 hectares had been transferred for non-forestry uses in all the four provinces and Azad Kashmir since 1992. He said in Sindh alone 110,071 hectares out of a total of 1,087,000 hectares under the control of the forest department was transferred for non-forestry uses. He said the ministry was trying to get back the forest land currently in non-forest use.

Acting Chairman of the Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali also observed that forest land must neither be used for housing schemes nor for any other non-forest purposes.

Mr Afridi said the management and protection of forests was the responsibility of the provincial forest departments, but the environment ministry was taking a number of steps to protect forests in the country.

He said the ministry was reviewing its policy on commercial harvesting of forests in consultation with all stakeholders.

He said from time to time, the environment ministry issued guidelines and advices to the provincial forest departments to improve vigilance for stopping illegal cutting of forests and trade of wood.

He said the government had also taken steps to control pollution of industrial effluents in the country. He said the provincial environmental protection agencies had been delegated powers to enforce the National Environmental Quality Standards notified in 1993 for the industrial units which prescribed maximum permissible limits of pollutants in the effluent. He said the environmental protection tribunals had been established in all provinces for trial of cases involving violation of environmental laws.

He said new industrial estates were being established with facilities of combined effluent treatment plants while custom duty of 35 per cent on anti-pollution equipment had been completely eliminated.

The minister informed the house that one of the main causes of pollution in the country was diesel as it contained more sulphur contents.

He said most of the countries were using Euro-2 standard diesel containing five per cent sulphur while in Pakistan we were still using Euro-4 standard diesel with over one per cent sulphur.

The minister said refineries had been given timeframe to produce Euro-2 standard diesel while there would be complete ban on Euro-4 standard diesel vehicles after 2012.

Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah told the Senate that National Employment Policy had been prepared while the first draft of National Migration Policy had also been finalised.

The minister said work on consolidation and simplification of labour laws was under progress and the first labour code was under vetting by the law ministry.

The communication minister told the house that the inquiry team had completed its report on the collapse of Shershah Bridge in September last year in Karachi and it was under study by the ministry. It would be made public if so desired by the government.

The chair informed the members that the National Assembly speaker had set up a relief fund for the affected people of Bajaur and they should generously contribute to it.

Senator Dilawar Abbas informed the house that some people had got hold of his plot in the vicinity of Islamabad with the connivance of Islamabad police.

The matter was referred to the standing committee on interior on a suggestion by leader of the house Mian Raza Rabbani.