The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Sindh government to submit comprehensive report on the retrieval of forest land supported by the maps. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who was heading a three-judge bench, said that after receiving the report they shall direct the district and sessions judges of the Sindh to verify the report.
The bench was hearing the petition of Qazi Ali Athar, who is an environmental lawyer. He informed that the land is occupied by the military personnel, judges and Bahria Town. Additional Advocate General Sindh Sabtain Mehmood submitted the report and informed the court that provincial cabinet in January 2019 had decided to cancel all the leases of forest land. He said out of total 52,922 acres of forest land, 1,800 acres have been retrieved.
Justice Azmat asked what its proof is. He said the cancellation of leases and retrieval of forests on papers is not more than an "eye wash", adding, "We want completely vacated forests land with a proper record supported by Google maps; than this court will get it verified on ground through district judges. The land will be surveyed and demarcated through Survey of Pakistan." Justice Azmat remarked the people have been occupying the forest land with the connivance of forest officers. He asked Sindh Chief Conservator Forest Sindh Ijaz Nizamani, "It is your province and therefore you are responsible to protect it."
Justice Azmat thanked the petitioner for raising this issue of national importance and said, "We feel our responsibility to comply with proper conservation of forests for our present and further generations."
Ijaz informed that no forest officer has authority to sell land, adding in 2004-2005 thousands of acres of forest land was given on lease to the people for five years and since that time they have been occupying it.
The bench ordered the chief conservator to provide district-wise list of retrieved land along with the maps and adjourned the hearing for three weeks. According to the petitioner, Sindh province has total 2,858,748 acres of forest land. Out of 605,583 acres riverine forests, 182,314 acres are of inland forest and 751,063 acres are of coastal forest (mangroves) and 1,319,788 acres are rangelands. The petitioner submitted that due to the shortage of water in Indus River, unkind policies and political influence in Forest Department, 90 percent forest land has been deforested and almost entire forest land has been illegally occupied for agriculture purpose by the political mafia, including ministers and public representative facilitated by the Sindh Forest and Revenue Department.
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