Islamabad: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change has outlawed the construction of hotels in the Margalla Hills National Park, a news source reported. The committee stressed that any individual or authority constructing hotels in this area would be in violation of the law.

Read: Margalla Hills Society seeks land transfer ban reinstatement in Zone III

The committee also presented a proposal for shifting the administration of the National Park and Marghzar Zoo from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) & Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), to the Ministry of Climate Change.

The Chairperson of the Committee Munaza Hassan stated that the construction of hotels deteriorates the condition of the park and environment. She added that we could end up without the National Park in case authorities concerned did not stop the construction of hotels.

On the other hand, the Advisor to the Prime Minister (PM) on Climate Change Amin Aslam discussed the 10 Billion Tree Project. He added that the government plans to plant 3.29 billion saplings in the initial phase. He revealed that the private sector and global organizations would also participate in this endeavour.

The climate change secretary revealed that the government would complete the project’s initial phase by 2020, after which the second phase can begin.

The committee’s session discussed that the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments would plant one billion trees each, while the Punjab government would contribute 0.5 billion plants.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said that they have launched a red book pertaining to wildlife for the first time. She added that this would help them collect accurate data for the few species they have lost to extinction.

Read: Punjab drafts new laws to protect wildlife

In its next meeting, the committee has called upon the representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum, Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), and certain oil refineries. These officials will talk in details about the presence of harmful ingredients exceeding the set limit in Hi-Octane petrol.