PM shows concern over poor condition of forests

Ministry of Climate Change seeks constitutional amendment to enhance its role

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed serious concerns over poor condition of forests in the country and directed the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) to initiate prompt remedial measures to control deforestation in the country.

The PM Secretariat has also directed the ministry to prepare a summary for consideration of the prime minister in consultation with line ministries – ministries of interprovincial coordination, Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) – and Cabinet, Law & Justice and Human Rights Divisions as per requirements of rules of business in 1973 Constitution.

The MoCC has also been asked to assume its lead role in forestry and wildlife sectors in areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the G-B and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) without further delay.

However, in response to the PM Secretariat’s directions, the MoCC has sought some necessary constitutional amendments in existing rules of business for taking additional responsibilities of overseeing forestry affairs in the AJK, G-B and Fata.



“In the AJK, the state government currently protects and manages forests in its jurisdiction, while in the G-B, the forestry is managed by the G-B Council. In Fata, the federal government is responsible for forests through the Fata Secretariat,” the MoCC has said in its communiqué dated July 31, 2015.

The MoCC is of the view that the G-B Private Forest Regulations 1970 and Forest Rules under 1975 clause 3.15 of West Pakistan Forest Manual Volume II and the G-B Judicial Council’s decision dated April 6, 2011 also provide federal government’ s role in forestry.

“After strong push and continuous pursuance by the PM to increase country’s tree cover on a war footing, the MoCC came into action and sped up work on preparation of country’s first ever national forest policy,” the ministry has said.

However, a forest expert, talking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, said that during formulation of the first national forest policy, stakeholders – provinces, nongovernmental organisations and the corporate sector – have neither been taken on board nor consulted.

Another forest expert said similar forest policy was formulated in 2010, but could not be approved.

However, the MoCC’s forest wing officials said that all stakeholders were taken on board and it was totally an updated policy. “There is no resemblance between 2010 and 2015 forest policies,” said one of the officials, adding that the new policy would help increase forest cover and control deforestation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2015.