Hunting in G-B puts animals in danger

CM announces Rs200 million for children affected in Attabad landslide.

GILGIT:

People from Azad Jammu and Kashmir enter Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and hunt threatened animals. They smuggle highly valuable herbal and medicinal plants outside of G-B, Abdul Hameed, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker told the house on Friday.

He added that residents of Astore Valley had approached him with the complaint that illegal chopping of forests is also on the rise while relevant officials remained indifferent to the situation.

Chief Minister (CM) Mehdi Shah taking notice of the complaint summoned Secretary Forest in his office. He also announced the release of Rs200 million for clearance of school dues for children hailing from Attabad who are studying all across Pakistan. In wake of the tragedy in Attabad, the government had announced free of charge education to the people affected by the calamity in early 2010. This issue was highlighted by another lawmaker Mutabiat Shah.

Responding to questions raised by various lawmakers during the fifteenth session of G-B legislative assembly on Friday, the CM informed them that the federal government had increased the wheat quota of wheat for G-B, and the region will receive 500 more bags of wheat in the future. He added that G-B airports would be improved so they can function in different climatic conditions. The CM said that Gilgit and Skardu will be declared big cities soon.

Baig, addressing the treasury benches, said that China had upheld the honour of the government by providing relief to the people affected by calamities during the hour of need. Although he said the relief had now exhausted and therefore they should ask China for more assistance.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2011.