‘Over 155,000 acres of forestland occupied’

[LRE]

‘Over 155,000 acres of forestland occupied’

* Senate committee on environment seeks eviction of Rangers from bus depots
* Expresses dissatisfaction over investigation into gang rape

By Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: More than 155,000 acres of forestland has been occupied by individuals and organisations, who wish to use it for non-forestry purposes such as the establishment of housing schemes, officials from the Environment Ministry told the Senate Standing Committee on Environment on Thursday.

Committee Chairman Senator Muhammad Ali Barohi asked the ministry officials to submit details on when and how the land was occupied by July 31. Environment Ministry Deputy Inspector General (Forests) Abdul Munaf Qaim Khwani told the meeting’s participants that the occupants used various channels and sources to have the land transferred to their names under various governments.

The committee chairman directed the ministry officials to at least get that forestland vacated whose occupants were not paying instalments.

Rangers’ occupation: The committee also expressed its concern over the delay in vacating five depots occupied by the Sindh Rangers. The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has allocated the depots for a CNG bus station. “They (Rangers) did not leave even the playgrounds and colleges to set up accommodations ... this is no way. Yes there is a problem of law and order which requires the Rangers’ presence in the province but the city government should allocate some other place for the force’s accommodation,” Barohi said. Interior Ministry Joint Secretary Shahidullah Baig told the meeting’s participants that the government was planning to establish Sindh Constabulary to maintain order, and hoped the Rangers would no longer be needed for the purpose. He said the authorities should wait until the Sindh Constabulary was formed “as the CDGK has no viable working plan to provide alternate accommodation to the Rangers”. Brohi directed the Sindh chief secretary to arrange a meeting with the Karachi city nazim, Rangers director general, district co-ordination officer and other stakeholders to resolve the issue.

Rape case: South Karachi Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Shahid Hayat told the meeting that the DNA profile of Khadim Hussain Shah, Asif Ansari and Raja Muhammad Arif, accused of raping a girl at Mazar-e-Quaid, had matched the DNA samples obtained from the victim’s clothes. The three, therefore, have been arrested, he added. “Khadim Hussain, the assistant security manager at the mausoleum, has also been identified [as the rapist] by the victim during an identification parade,” Hayat said. However, Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza expressed her displeasure over the investigation. She asked the investigation officer to explain why the police had freed one of the accused, Bagh Ali, on surety bonds. She asked the police officer to re-arrest Bagh Ali and another accused, Irfan Karkun, for investigation.

The chair asked the police officer to conduct DNA tests of all the accused and provide justice to the victim. But the officer said the tests would cost around Rs 3.7 million and that the department could not afford this. The chair asked the officer to submit a progress report on July 31. The Senate committee also stressed the need for an ‘Integrated Traffic Management and Mass Transit System’ in Karachi to ease pressure on the roads. Senior officials from the Karachi Mass Transit Cell told the committee that 4,000 CNG buses would be plying the streets of Karachi within five years.

Senator Jamal Leghari said wildlife in Sindh was being affected due to hunting, environmental degradation and deforestation. He called for immediate steps to protect the wildlife. The committee constituted a sub-committee consisting of senators Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari, Bibi Yasmeen Shah and Mir Mohabbat Khan Marri to give suggestions on preserving wildlife.

Earlier, Barohi and Jamal Leghari condemned the absence of the Sindh chief secretary and environment secretary in the meeting. Senators Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari, Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri, Shujaul Mulk, Bibi Yasmeen Shah, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Sardar Mehmud Khan, Rahat Hussain, Mir Mohabbat Khan Marri, Syed Muhammad Hussain, Muhammad Saleh Shah and Shehla Raza attended the meeting.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg7_28