ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said the government was ensuring the protection of forest lands for conservation of environment.
Food security and climate change are currently the most important issues concerning the whole world, including Pakistan, he added.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Housing and Construction.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib, Special Assistant to PM Dr Shehbaz Gill, Member National Assembly Aftab Siddiqui, Chairman CDA Amir Ahmed Ali, Chairman Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Lt. Gen. (R) Anwar Ali Haider, Surveyor General Of Pakistan Major General Shahid Pervez and concerned officials.
Concerned officials from all the four provinces also attended the meeting via video link.
The Prime Minister directed that strict enforcement of law should be ensured for relinquishment of the encroached state land.
Emphasizing the importance of cadastral mapping, he said that it will help the government to identify dead capital and its better utilization.
The meeting was briefed in detail about the development work in Islamabad.
It was told that Sector I-15 has been completed with unprecedented pace, whereas the development of Ali Pur Farash Town project under Naya Pakistan Housing Authority will also be completed soon.
The meeting was also briefed about the progress on infrastructure development projects in Islamabad.
Construction of Park Enclave (Phase I, II & III), Rawal Chowk Flyover, Korang Bridge, Margalla Highway, 7th Avenue Interchange and IJP Road was going on at a steady pace and these projects were expected to be completed within the defined timelines, it was told.
Moreover the meeting was informed that the building of 150 beds Capital Hospital was complete and its equipment was in the process of procurement.
Chairman CDA also briefed about the digital mapping of forest areas of Islamabad. The digital mapping, which has been completed, helped in identification of encroached land.
The Prime Minister directed that strict action must be taken against land mafias involved in encroachment of forest land, natural waterways and state owned property.
Later on, Surveyor General of Pakistan briefed the meeting on Cadastral Mapping of Islamabad Capital Territory, Lahore and digitization of the state owned land in Pakistan.
Regarding Islamabad, the meeting was informed that the process was near to completion and the collected data had also been uploaded to web application whereby the title holders will also be given a distinct login ID.
The login ID provided to the title holders will help access to all the details of a property hence bringing transparency in the system.
Ground-survey, Property Tax record and census data are being utilized in Lahore to accurately map the city.
Moreover the Board of Revenue data in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was being digitalized at a steady pace.
Forest demarcation exercise in the country was 97% complete and digitization of the state owned land was also expected to be completed in the upcoming couple of months.
The meeting was also briefed in detail about encroachment on Circular Railway, Nullahs and forest land in Karachi.
The meeting was briefed about the site development zones proposed for better utilization of land and provision of basic amenities to housing societies.
