ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed its concern about the suitability of the date trees in the climatic conditions of the capital.

Talking to this reporter, Mukhtar Ahmad Ali of the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) said the tree was essentially a tropical specie and, hence, not suitable for plantation in Islamabad.

"The preliminary inquiries that we have made so far indicate that the cost of Rs9,900 for one date tree is very high keeping in view the fact that it is a local tree, which is easily available at quite cheap rates in various parts of the country," Mr Ali said.

According to official sources, the date trees planted in the capital have cost the public exchequer Rs2.7 million. The CDA has already made a payment of Rs1.1 million to a private contractor in this regard.

The CDA, replying to a request by the CRCP under the Freedom of Information Act vide its letter number "CDA/DE(U)/(4)(120)/2004/ 298/686/Islamabad, said: "No separate budgetary allocation was made for plantation." The purchase of plants, that are not available in the CDA nursery, is being made from the budgetary allocation of store material during the year 2003-04, it said.

A number of citizens have voiced concern over the policy of planting date trees with some individuals raising fingers at politicians from Sindh and Jhang for manipulating the contract and forcing the authority to take the decision to plant date trees in the capital.

However, the Capital Development Authority did not identify the contractor and the place from where the trees were brought for plantation, the CRCP official said.

Calling for more prudent policy on the issue of plantation, he said trees were planted and replaced frequently causing waste of public resources. He said such decisions were taken without proper planning and prior consultations with citizens and environmental groups.