LAHORE: The environmental experts on Monday urged the government to draft a comprehensive policy tostop rapid deforestation accross the country.
Kashif Salik, a senior climate change researcher told APP that according to the UNESCO’s International CoordinatingCouncil of the ‘Man and the Biosphere Programme’, Pakistan’s juniper forest is believed to be the world’s second largestsuch reserve, adding these reserves should be saved.
Salik said that clearing of the juniper forest or trees in Chakwal, Jhelum and Attock were alarming which havereplaced by orchards. Dr Mehmood Khalid Qamar, a senior official of thegovernment of Punjab and environmental expert, said that thetimber mafias, clearing of the land for the developmentalprojects, and the burning of woods as a fuel are the main reasons for deforestation.
Meanwhile a senior official of Punjab forestrydepartment said that government is serious about deforestation; however it was making comprehensivepolicy in this regard.To a question he acknowledged that some forestofficials are involved in illegal business of timber and deforestation.
He confirmed that government is underlining a policy to suspend these forest officials besides planning to strengthen the forestry laws” he added. It is pertinent to mention here that according to theofficial data, Pakistan has a total forest cover of 4.4million hectare, and the current rate of deforestation is 27,000 hectare per year.
