LAHORE: Hearing a suo moto case against encroachments in the Murree Forest Division, the Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the Punjab Forest Department to take legal action against all encroachers.
A division bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ali shah and Justice Atir Mahmood was hearing the case. The bench appreciated the mapping conducted by WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with the Punjab Revenue Department, Punjab Forest Department and Survy of Pakistan that identified 2,325 encroachers in and along the boundary of the forest occupying 1,576 acres of state forest land in Murree Forest Division. Former Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif took a suo moto in 2010 after the issue was highlighted as a result of drastically increased forest degradation and encroachment. WWF-Pakistan became a party in February 2010 and was ordered to provide help to the court in protecting rapidly degrading forest resources. –Staff Reporter