By By our correspondent
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial law officer to file comments with regards to making efforts for saving the city trees from being axed. The court also continued the interim order restraining the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and other civic authorities from cutting trees, except trimming, in different parts of the city.
The court was hearing identical petitions of Qazi Ali Athar, an environment law attorney; Tanveer Ahmed Khan and other residents of PECHS’ Block-2, who have challenged tree cutting on Sir Syed Road, Hali Road, Allama Iqbal Road and adjacent areas by civic authorities.
The petitioners said that as many as 5,202 trees have been cut or felled by the authorities concerned in different areas of the city during the last couple of years and this unhealthy activity of the authorities had caused a great damage to the green peace of Karachi.
They submitted that green belts and parks were the necessary natural heritage of citizens and therefore freely cutting of trees was a direct threat to human life and existence and, under the circumstances, the petitioners’ right has been violated and prejudiced.
The court was prayed to restrain the respondents from cutting green trees, besides trees be declared as national heritage/assets.
Adjourning the matter, the court directed the provincial law officer to file comments regarding the status of the committee and efforts being made by the government in this regard.