RAWALPINDI - Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench Justice Jawad Hassan on Monday issued notices to several provincial and federal departments including commissioner Rawalpindi   in response to a petition filed against mass cutting of trees and mountains in Kotli Sattian, Murree and Kahuta. 
The apex court has sought the written replies from the departments within two weeks.
The petition was filed by Parvez Abbasi, resident of Murree, while making government of the Punjab, through its director general Environmental Protection Department, Federation of Pakistan, through secretary, Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, commissioner Rawalpindi and others as respondents. In his petition, the petitioner argued that he has recently launched an initiative to protect the environment of Murree called the ‘Murree Development Forum’.
He added he brought the instant petition in the public interest, seeking the kind   intervention of the court against hill cutting / razing, china cutting and such other activities causing immense damage to mountains, hills and environment across Pakistan especially in areas of Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and Murree (National Park Area).
The petitioner mentioned that  under a  notification of Sept 15, 2009, issued under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act 1974, the areas of Murree, Kotli Sattian and Kahuta were declared ‘national park area’, where the clearing or breaking up of any land for cultivation, mining or for any other purpose is prohibited.
He told court the relentless hill cutting / razing has caused the entire hills to go barren and has caused the most horrendous pollution not only for the environment but those living in the surrounding regions, without any check or scrutiny and has the plausible effect of razing these magnificent natural creations down to the ground, with irreparable damage.
LHC Rawalpindi Bench Justice Jawad Hassan accepted the petition for hearing and issued notices to all the respondents seeking reply within two weeks.