ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb condemned the felling of hundreds of old and rare trees near the Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi office on Wednesday.
“We will determine who committed the offence and take appropriate legal action,” she stated in a statement.
“The facts will be brought to the nation’s attention as to how the treasured trees were cut down amid the billion tree tsunami claims,” she said.
She claimed that a billion tree tsunami had surrounded the Radio Pakistan headquarters, consuming hundreds of trees. “Billion Tree Corruption Tsunami” uncovered proof of Radio Pakistan trees being taken down, the minister added, mocking the PTI’s tree-planting campaign.
According to the minister, the entire operation appeared to have taken place without the permission of the competent authority, and she has requested a report on the situation from the relevant authorities.
She had asked the Secretary of State for Information and Broadcasting to submit the full minutes of the Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting’s meeting, as well as the investigative report of Radio Pakistan.
According to the minister, the federal and Punjab environmental protection agencies, as well as the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, were not addressed before the trees were cut down, and experts were not approached to assess the sorts of trees, their ages, and their market value.
She pledged that the felling of over 600 trees, including mango, dalbergia sissoo, also known as sheesham, mulberry, chinaberry, and chestnut, was a serious matter for which strong action would be taken against those guilty.
