Prime Minister Imran Khan’s endeavours to promote tree plantation across the country is indeed commendable. Such plantation drives are essential if Pakistan aims to move towards a greener future. Such drives usually achieve their optimum objective at least after five years when they grow enough to contribute significantly to maintaining ecological balance.
However, this noble campaign will fail to achieve its desired objectives if forests that spread over thousands of acres of land are being simultaneously destroyed by the land mafia and converted into concrete jungles. The deteriorating environment of the country is a testament to the fact that Pakistan is one of the countries that is most affected by global warming. The quality of air which envelops most of our cities is already deteriorated to a level which is unsafe for human beings and wildlife alike while landslides have increased in hilly areas because of reckless unchecked cutting of trees. It is without a doubt that the insatiable greed of few powerful individuals poses threat to millions of innocent people.
On the one hand, the Prime Minister must take action against all those involved in the illegal occupation of forest land while on the other the state must use its writ to take over this precious land irrespective of technicalities such as third-party interest.
The state failed to protect Kidney Hill Park in Karachi from the evil designs of the land mafia and today Karachi has become a city where even the vital nallahs have fallen prey to illegal occupation. Therefore, unless exemplary punishment is given to criminals who benefitted from such illegal activities, there will be no end to such practices.
Ali Malik Tariq
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2020.
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