Removing trees from Fatima Jinnah Park: SC seeks assistance of Forest ex-IGs

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Monday sought the assistance of retired inspector generals of forests to deal with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) the way it had removed the trees and vegetation from Fatima Jinnah Park F-9.

A three-member bench of the apex court - headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa - issued a written order in a suo motu case pertaining to the chopping of trees and vegetation.

“We are greatly concerned with the manner in which the land has been cleared of all vegetation, not just paper mulberry trees,” says the written order.

The court sought the assistance of Mahmood Nasir and Syed Ghulam Qadir Shah, who retired as inspector generals of forests, on whether the trees and vegetation had been removed in accordance with the good practice principles and how best to proceed in the future.

The court noted in its order that as per CDA, approximately 7,000 paper mulberry trees had been removed from different patches and pockets of 55 acres of the park.

The court, however, noted that the photographs and recording show that the area had been denuded of all trees and vegetation.

The court enquired whether paper mulberry trees were marked and it transpired that the work was undertaken by the contractor himself.

“It would be in the interest of the contractor to remove other trees too whose timber value is greater,” says the written order adding, “The CDA employed about 4,500 gardeners but they could not have undertaken the said work because, we are told, CDA does not have the requisite saws and other paraphernalia to cut/remove and uproot the trees.”

“We also enquired why was not a contract given only for the removal of paper mulberry trees and once they were cut down/removed to have sold them but did not receive a satisfactory answer,” the court noted in its written order adding that the CDA handed the entire work over to the contractor, who appeared to have worked unsupervised.

“All trees and vegetation seems to have been cut, despite the fact that they take years to grow and play a useful role”, the court held.

The court directed its office to send to them a copy of the Const. P. No. 5/2024 3 order and order dated 27 February 2024 together with copies of CMA Nos. 1603 and 1607 of 2024.

“Till the next date of hearing no further trees shall be cut nor to undertake further deforestation,” the court noted in its written order.