LAHORE: The city administration on Wednesday got a case registered against owners of a private housing society and some others for cutting trees owned by the forest department to widen the society from the front.

Constituted by Deputy Commissioner (DC) retired Capt Anwarul Haq, the team led by Raiwind Assistant Commissioner Asim Saleem rushed to Rajibah Raiwind railway line (Ludheki Beat) after someone reported cutting and stealing of trees from in front of a private housing society being developed there.

“When the team reached the spot, it noted that eight eucalyptus trees had been felled. Six of them were already transported out while two were still lying there,” according to a press release issued by a spokesman for the administration.

According to the first information report (FIR), Javaid Abdullah, Kashif and Zaheer Abbas and some unidentified people were involved in cutting trees and stealing the logs. “For the last two years, the [suspects have been] developing this residential scheme. They used to cut the forest trees off in a bid to widen their scheme’s front side,” stated the FIR.

“Those involved in such a practice must be stopped with immediate effect. And if they will continue to do so, they must be ready to face stern action from the administration,” DC Haq told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2018