Marriyum takes notice: Action against those responsible for cutting trees

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday took stern notice of the cutting down hundreds of valuable trees of the Radio Pakistan (RP) Rawalpindi building. “We will fix those responsible for the act and take action according to law”, she said in a statement.

“How the precious trees were cut down amidst the billion tree tsunami claims, the facts will be brought to the notice of the nation”, she maintained. “The billion tree tsunami had devoured hundreds of trees from the Radio Pakistan building,” she added.

Proofs of Radio Pakistan trees cutting were found in ‘Billion Tree Corruption Tsunami’, the minister said while taking a jibe at PTI’s tree plantation drive. The minister said the whole operation took place without the approval of the competent authority and she has sought a report on the matter from the concerned authorities, directing the Secretary Information Ministry to submit minutes of full proceedings of the meeting of the Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting and investigation report of Radio Pakistan.

The minister said that federal and Punjab environmental protection agencies and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board were also not taken into confidence while cutting the trees and experts were not consulted to determine the types of trees, their ages, and market price.

“Cutting down of more than 600 trees including mango, Dalbergia Sissoo, Mulberry, Chinaberry and Chestnut was a serious matter and strict action would be taken against those responsible for this act,” she promised.