ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP): President HE Zardari Taking serious note of the reports of deforestation in different parts of country has directed all the provincial Governors to ensure that indiscriminate cutting of trees should stop forthwith and the Governments should also devise a plan for massive reforestation in the country.
?During a year that has been declared the ?Year of Environment? these reports are very disturbing and point to the need for urgent and effective measures to arrest the deforestation in the country on the one hand and launch a robust program of reforestation on the other?, said the president in a letter addressed to the Governers of all provinces.
“The forests played a critical role in maintaining ecological balance, clean environment and inducing rainfall and must be protected at all costs,” the President added.
The President said that the ratio of the forests to available land in Pakistan was already one of the lowest in the world and wanton destruction of this national wealth would play havoc not only with environment and ecological balance but also eventually with the national economy.
It may be mentioned that National Assembly was informed Tuesday that in the past over 300,000 acres of land under forest has been doled out for non ? forest uses.
The President also asked for a report on the extent of forest lands converted into housing colonies, plots and other non forest uses.
It may be mentioned that the issue of indiscriminate allocation of forest and other state lands for non forest and nonconforming uses have been agitated by the PPP in the past in national Parliament but no measures were taken to redress the issue.
?We must act before the damage becomes irreversible?, the President said.
