ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court said that deforestation is not only loss of public exchequer but also dangerous for climate change.
The court noted that the deforestation is taking toll on the lives of billions of people of the region and the world as a whole and is also against the provision of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 and therefore, it must be considered a very heinous crime.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, on December 6, 2016 after hearing appeal of two forest guards against the Lahore High Court had reserved the judgment.
The apex court dismissed the pre-arrest bail. Earlier, the Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Punjab, and the Lahore High Court had rejected the pre-arrest bail applications.
Forest Guard Akbar Ali had filed an FIR against Abbas Ali, forest guard and Naseer Ahmed, assistant, under section 409 PPC read with section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1997 at the Police Station District Anti-Corruption Establishment, Lahore.
Both Abbas and Naseer were accused of failing to protect trees and therefore a huge number of trees were chopped and taken away but they did not report the matter to the authorities well in time. Around 395 trees worth Rs23,63,445 were chopped at the Sharqpur Forest Sub-Division.
The apex court noted in its order that the massive deforestation is an unabated phenomenon rather it is getting momentum day by day. These petitioners are paid from the public exchequer and are entrusted with the duty to protect the forest and every standing tree but when they themselves have become suspects for the crime then such cases should be dealt seriously.
