ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Islamabad and Chief Commissioner Office Islamabad on Tuesday sealed off the popular Monal Restaurant located in Marghalla Hills for illegal tree cutting for its expansive construction activities.
According to a press release issued here on Tuesday by the Climate Change Ministry’s media focal person, Muhammad Saleem, it was brought to the notice of the Prime Minister’s Advisor Malik Amin Aslam that illegal construction activities for expansion of the Monal restaurant were gonging on for a few days and initiated by management of the restaurant, which led to a significant loss of tree cover and land degradation in its vicinity.
He said taking serious notice of the illegal construction activities and tree cutting, Malik Amin Aslam directed the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Islamabad (Pak-EPA Islamabad) to take legal action against the culprits.
Later, Pak-EPA Islamabad and the Chief Commissioner Islamabad office moved together and sealed off the Monal restaurant and lodged FIR against the culprits at the Islamabad Secretariat Police Station, the media focal person said.
He said few pictures of tree cutting and land leveling appeared in social media widely and the same was shared with the Chief Commissioner, ICT by the Pak-EPA and Ministry of Climate Change to take immediate action.
Resultantly, the District Administration conducted the raid on May 18, 2020 evening and it was observed that images of destruction activities appeared in social media were authentic and genuine in nature. During the raid, two persons namely Muhammad Sagheer and Muhammad Naeem were arrested on the spot and an FIR was lodged against them in Police Station Kohsar.
He said Prime Minister’s advisor Malik Amoin Aslam along with the climate change ministry’s high officials will visit the damaged site tomorrow (Wednesday) and take stock of the damage caused to the land and trees. He said tree plantation activities will also be carried out by him in support with the local forest officials at the damaged site for its rehabilitation.