Pakistan to lodge UN complaint against India for ‘Eco-terrorism’

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Friday said Pakistan plans to lodge a complaint against India at the United Nations for its payload dropping that have caused damage to the Billion Tree Tsunami nature reserve.

“Causing harm to the environment and damaging trees and birds comes under ‘Eco-terrorism’,” he underscored.

International and local journalists also visited the damaged site and they have confirmed that the Indian dumping of payload has damaged several trees in the areas and killed few crows, he added.

The Adviser said that Pakistan valued its nature especially its forests nurturing under the Billion Tree Tsunami.

These forests are not only a local but also a globally recognized and valued asset.

“All international organizations including World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have acknowledged the value of this asset,” Amin maintained.

He said India dumped payload onto a patch of reserve forest which caused a lot of environmental damage to the age old forests as well as the undergoing natural re-growth.

“Such an act is termed ‘Eco-terrorism’ under international law and after assessing the damage to nature, which is currently being done, Pakistan will raise this act of “Eco-terrorism” at all relevant international fora including the UN,” he reiterated.

It may be mentioned here that after the successful completion of Billion Tree Tsunami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan government had announced to plant 10 Billion Trees in the next five years.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has also initiated the Spring Tree Plantation in this regard early last month at Baloki, Punjab, where an encroached land was converted into a nature reserve forest and wildlife sanctuary.