Banigala Botanical Gardens & National Park: SC summons top officials in demarcation case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court summoned top officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and the Punjab Forest Department in a case regarding demarcation of Bani Gala Botanical Gardens and National Park.

A two-member judge bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case regarding unplanned and unregistered construction in Bani Gala Botanical Garden and National Park, and grant of commercial lease by the CDA.

The additional advocate general (AAG) Punjab informed that some documents could not be obtained; therefore, the delimitation of forest lands was not possible. Then bench on the last hearing had directed the Punjab government to present relevant documents in a case regarding the illegal construction in Bani Gala Botanical Gardens and National Park.

Justice Umar Bandial expressed concern over delay in execution of its previous orders. He said the apex court in 2017 had ordered for the delimitation of forest land, which had not been implemented so far.

The AAG Punjab said the record would be obtained within five days. A lawyer said that botanical gardens' land was 583 acres, and its notification had also been issued, adding, despite that, forest and National Park land was being encroached.

The case was adjourned for a week. The top court in 2017 had banned illegal cutting of trees and encroachment of land in Bani Gala Botanical Gardens and National Park. The mushroom growth of housing was a threat to the protected area demarcated by the Geographical Survey of Pakistan (GSP) on 725 acres.

In 2019, the government decided to construct around 2,700 cemented pillars, with distance of 15 feet, and two-foot high walls between the pillars, on which the grills would be fixed along a 14 kilometers long boundary. The GSP had placed grills on around two kilometres stretch; however, a nearby housing society created obstacles in its construction.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020