M. Bilal Baseer Abbasi
ABBOTTABAD: Civil society activists on Wednesday complained about felling of trees by timber mafia, the apathy of the department concerned and demanded of the government to take stern action against them. While approaching to this correspondent, they told The Frontier Post that they had noticed illegal logging of precious trees from Shmlati lands of Khanispour, Ayubia claimed that any initiative to revive forestation will not be fruitful until the government does not deal with the timber mafia and the officials of forest department with an iron fist.
Tariq Nawaz Abbasi, a civil society activist from Ayubia, said that cutting down of trees was going on at several places in the area under the nose of forest officials. He told at some places trees freshly cut down while in other areas planks were found. He claimed the forest department officials from top to bottom are involved in the scam. The civil society members questioned the claims of PTI government of protecting the forests in the province.
They said PTI chairperson and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan on the one hand has launched a countrywide campaign for tree plantation but on the other precious trees of Deodar and Pines are being chopped by the timber mafia added that the claims of billion tree tsunami in the province but on ground frequent illegal cutting of trees continues in various areas in consus with forest staff. While repeated contacts, Abbottabad district forest officers, Sardar Saleem was not available.
They made a fervent appeal before Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other concerned authorities of the provincial government to take strict legal action against the timber mafia and the staffers of forest department, Abbottabad for showing leniency and ensure prevention of the trees from further cutting.
