Title Pakistan Forest Digest Issue 01- A4 - Pakistan Research Group

SDPISustainable Development Policy Institutetransferred are also graduallyrestored as forestland.The Government of Pakistan hasgiven a commitment to globalcommunity under MillenniumDevelopment Goals to increase theforest cover in the country to 6%by the year 2015, but not enoughcorresponding action has beentaken to disaggregate this targetdown to the provinces, districtsand tehsils.As outlined in this report, thelargest conservations of forestlandhave taken place in Punjab andSindh corresponding to 99,711acres and 27,874 acresrespectively.The Sindh government has made140 land transfers covering an areaof 271,875 acres since 1947 todifferent users agencies. Of this,11,911 acres to Pak Army inSukkur, Ghotki, Thatta, and PanoAkil, 177,122 acres to Port Qasimand Pakistan Steel Mills, 16,935acres to Revenue Dept in Karachi,12,040 acres to Defence HousingAuthority, 5,924 acres wastransferred for agriculturepurposes in Ghotki and 1,090acres was also transferred inKarachi to educational institutions,Sindh High Court, Sir SyedUniversity, BIZTEK, SindhMadrassa, Dawood College ofEngineering, SZABIST, SIUT,Agha Khan University and SindhPolice, 3,000 acres to KMC and300 acres to Sindh Police forcentral jail.Similarly Punjab had made 106land transfers covering an area of99,711 acres since 1947 to variousgovernment departments thatinclude Parks & HorticultureAuthority, wildlife, tourismdevelopment cooperation, PakistanArmy, construction of hospitals,schools, fisheries dept, civilaviation, universities, PTCL,Wapda, Highways, sericulture,Great Thal Canal System,Microwave towers, Housingscheme, Army dog centre,MMDA, police justice dept, CDA,district jail and specific purpose.Some of the major forest landtransfers include 14000 acres toPTCL in Kabirwala, 44,019 acresto Pak Army in Jallo Park,Pirowal, Miranpur, Muzaffargarh,Kalla Chitta, Sambli and Jehlum,11,870 acres to CDA, 200 acres toJournalist Housing Colony in LohiBher, 572 acres to PunjabEmployee Housing Foundationand 116 acres to Arid ZoneResearch Institute in Bhakkar.However, the transfer of4,111 acres to NewMurree DevelopmentAuthority has beenstopped due to SupremeCourts suo moto whilein some cases,forestland has been leased toprivate people including a piece offorest to Royal Navy Oman.Balochistan government has made18 land transfers covering an areaof 13,693 acres forest land to otherdepartments that include 400 acresto agriculture dept, 10 acres toBalochistan University, 24 acres tolabour dept, 1200 acres to PAF,1,200 acres for Industrial estates,54 acres for prison dept, 0.68 acresfor CNG Company and 5 acres forSOS village.The KPK government has made 20land transfers covering an area of9,692 acres to other departmentsthat include 20 acres to PTDC,0.76 acres to Muhammad PervaizKhan, 0.63 acres to FC, 0.38 acresto PMA hut, 0.25 acres to fisheriesdept, 0.5 acres to BHU, 0.13 acresto wildlife dept, 0.88 acres todistrict council, Mansehra, 0.5acres to Pak Youth Hostel, 11.75acres for potato research centre, 2acres for Hotel Pine Park, 9133acres to Pak Army in D I Khanand 520 acres to PERRA in Siran.English Translations of Urdu ClippingsDomail: low quality material used in construction offorest guest houseContractor is destroying the project to grab millions of rupeesDaily Shamal, Abbottabad, May 07, 2010Dhadar (Special Reporter) Thecontractor building the forest guesthouse in Domail is trying toembezzle millions of rupees anddestroying the plan. The guesthouse is being built in cooperationwith ERRA. The material beingused for the building is extremelylow quality. This activity iscontinuing in collaboration withthe forest department. People ofthe area have protested against theuse of low quality material.Pakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010