On Monday, Pakistan’s Chief Justice, Umar Ata Bandial, voiced grave worry over the continuing problem of stone crushing in the Margalla Hills.
The lawsuit against the occupancy of forest areas was considered by a three-member court led by CJP Bandial.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Bandial enquired about the authorities’ efforts to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of stone crushing.
The Supreme Court ordered the government’s attorney, Raja Shafqat, to give information on the status of tree planting efforts.
“The provincial governments need to provide details on the number of trees sold and the number of trees planted thus far,” CJP Bandial said.
Furthermore, the Chief Justice questioned whether the forest department’s property was being leased via public-private partnerships.
In response, the council informed the court that all leases had been cancelled in accordance with a prior court judgement.
Chief Justice Bandial expressed his worries over the Margalla Hills, pointing out that mining operations continued despite the area’s status as a wooded zone.
The court deferred the hearing for one month in order to get more information about the tree planting initiatives.