RAWALPINDI, Aug 28: The district government on Saturday banned with immediate effect entry of all kinds of construction material in urban areas of Murree.

District Nazim Tariq Kiani, through a directive, pledged to take action under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against all those who did not immediately stop construction of new multi-storey structures in the area. The violators, he observed, would be arrested instantly and brought before courts.

The Nazim observed that under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the Tehsil Municipal Administration Murree had already prohibited construction of new multi-story buildings for the last one-and-a-half-month. However, some people were violating the ban, owing to which the area was facing a disaster from planing point of view.

Besides, the extensive digging in the hilly area for the buildings also caused soil erosion and threatened environment. Moreover, some people had also constructed buildings without getting their maps approved from the TMA, while others had constructed multi-storey buildings after getting approval for single or double storey structures.

The Nazim said the time had come that the violators were stopped before they further damaged the environment and the planing of the area. He said the district government would take all steps to protect the natural beauty of Murree city.

He also asked the residents to back the move of the district government as it was in their own interest.

Meanwhile, Mr Kiani said the district government would plant 0.3 million saplings in government schools, public parks etc., during the ongoing plantation campaign.

He said this during a meeting with district coordination officer Hamid Ali Khan, executive district officer (revenue) Bashir Ahmed Farooqui, EDO (agriculture) Hameedullah Shah, Tehsil Municipal Officer Khwaja Javid Latif and a some officials of the Forest Department. The meeting was held here at his camp office.

Mr Kiani said the district government would provide 100,000 plants to public sector free of cost, while the remaining 200,00 plants would be made available at the nurseries of the Forest Department at cheaper rates.

The Nazim also directed the officials concerned to ensure looking after of the plants in future, because majority of the saplings planted during government-backed plantation drives seldom grew due to lack of attention.

The Tehsil Municipal Administration was also directed to plant maximum number of trees in the public sector institutions and erect fences for their protection. Mr Kiani said the district government attached great importance to tree plantation in a bid to ensure clean environment.