ISLAMABAD – Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin AslamFriday presented a dossier against India to accentuate Indian eco-terrorismcommitted in the protected area of Massar Jabba Forest reserve on February26.
The dossier has been submitted to the United Nations Environment Assembly(UNEA)’s 4th session, held in Nairobi, on the directives of the PrimeMinister Imran Khan.
It demanded the United Nations to withdraw its award of Champions of theEarth conferred on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a message receivedhere said.
The adviser while presenting the dossier to 4th UNEA session maintainedthat the Indian Air Force on February 26, brazenly dropped their aircrafts’payload in the Pakistani forests.
Malik said India had harmed the natural reserves of Pakistan through heraerial intrusion. “The act of damaging trees in the name of strike (byIndia) has caused eco-terrorism. India will have to pay the price fordamages made to trees,” the adviser said.
Pakistan’s case on eco-terrorism was strong against India, he said adding,“We want to enlighten the world about Pakistan’s earnest determination forenvironment conservation. The UN should take notice of Indian intrusion.”He said India blatantly obliterated international laws by flouting ViennaConvention.
He said, “This deplorable ‘strike’ is clearly a strike against nature. Ithas been duly booked under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial forest Act inPakistan and an independent ‘Natural Resource Damage Assessment’ hasalready been carried out.”
“Although we reserve the right for taking further legal action and forclaiming compensation and retribution for this act, we are raising it atthis forum to give a voice to the voiceless – the fallen trees of MassarJabba Forest reserve – which became the silent victims of this shamefulattack on nature. We also want the world to know that Pakistan values itsnature, and especially values its trees and forests, and has the will andcapacity to defend every inch of our country,” he said.
The adviser emphasized the need at the global level to strengtheninternational laws and commitments of the global community to takecognizance of such offences against nature.
He said in this regard Pakistan welcomes the work done by International LawCommission for defining the principles of environment in relation to armedconflicts especially draft principles 9 and 13 which extend to protectedareas such as the affected Massar Jabba forest reserve in Pakistan.
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“We also intend to take it up at the UN (Sixth Committee) to urgently andclearly define the term ‘Eco-terrorism’ – especially as it relates toincidents such as this strike against nature,” he underscored.
He went on to say, “Furthermore, any person authorizing such a strike isnot a ‘Champion’ of the Earth but belongs to the Earth’s ‘Hall of Shame’.”
He also briefed the members of UNEA on initiatives taken by the governmentof Pakistan to preserve the environment and said that Pakistan wascommitted to meet the challenges posed due to Climate Change.
He informed that the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Clean Green Pakistanproject was being implemented across the country.
The project includes targets of 10 billion tree plantation, solid andliquid waste management, sanitation and cleanliness drive, he added.
The adviser also apprised the Executive Director United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) Joyce Msuya about Indian eco-terrorism.
The UNEP executive director appreciated Pakistan’s initiatives forenvironment conservation. She congratulated Malik Amin Aslam on hisnomination for Pakistan’s prestigious civil award Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.
