ISLAMABAD: Bahria Golf City to endanger ecosystem, SC told

By Nasir Iqbal
, Sept 24: A public interest defender told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Bahria Golf City coming up in the foothils of Murree would endanger the ecosystem of the area.

Advocate Shafqat Abbasi, appearing in a suo motu hearing by the court, alleged that the Punjab authorities were misusing the Land Acquisition Act 1894 to acquire land from the families of Salkhaiter village for the private developer of the city located some 15kms from the Rawal Dam.

The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf had taken up the petition regarding plight of families of Salkhaiter village.

The project is being developed without fulfilling the obligation of conducting environment impact assessment and, therefore, is in violation of Section 12 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA) 1997, Advocate Abbasi argued before the proceeding was adjourned till October 6.

Mr Abbsi told Dawn that he had urged the court to seek an expert opinion from professional bodies on the issue.

The project could also pollute Nullah Korang, which cuts through approximately 262 kanals, putting at risk the health of citizens since the nullah is a main source of Rawal Dam.

“The project is also against the UN Convention on Environment 1992 to which Pakistan is a signatory,” he said, adding the project was not meant for the welfare of the public but would only suit the rich and elite since the smallest plot in the area would not be less than five kanals.

Before the proclamation of emergency and subsequent removal of the apex court judges, he recalled, a five-member bench headed by now deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had stayed acquisition of land by the Punjab government for the private sector development scheme.

Salkather is home to over 250 families who lived in nearly 1,000 houses. According to the villagers, the land was inherited and more than 1,500 individuals were living in Salkather and depended on the little agricultural produce from the fields on the outskirts of the rural residential site.

In their application, the residents had accused the proprietors of Bahria Town for “forcefully taking over 659 kanals of their forefathers.”

“The entire land acquisition had been done in violation of the law under which government land could only be acquired for public purpose and welfare,” the petition added.

Soon after acquiring the land, the application alleged, the proprietors started bulldozing and excavating mud around the area adjacent to the Rawal Dam.
Daily Dawn, 25/9/2008