Timber mafia hoodwinking people of Chitral

We thank the provincial PTI government for its sincere efforts to control deforestation in Chitral. In this connection, Forest Minister Ishtiaq Armer’s steps to control the ruthless cutting of deodar trees in Chitral are highly appreciated by people of Chitral and members of civil society. There is no doubt that in the garb of of marking and artifical harvesting, the timber mafia heinously destroyed green deodar trees in the forest of Shihikuh, Arandu and Kalash Valleyes and I myself have solid proof of the criminal acts carried out by the timber mafia. If an impartial inquiry is initiated, I shall present these facts to the inquiry commission that these handful people (timber mafia) caused a colossal damage to green deodar trees in Chitral. It is extremely unfortunate that again members of the timber mafia are active and befooling people of Chitral by arranging fake protest rallies only to divert the facts and to hide their crime. We again request to the district administration and the chief minister KP to take stern action against these few members of the timber mafia to protect lungs of Chitral from imminent destruction. We also appeal to the chief minister and the forest and environment minister to completely ban any type of harvesting in the forest of Chitral and expedite plantation campaign so that a little bit compensation is made for revival of the forest which ruthlessly destroyed by timber mafia who are making rallies these days to distort facts and to avoid any type of inquiry. We also salute PTI leader Raziatul Billiah’s statement in the press which truly reflects the aspirations of the entire population of Chitral except the timber mafia. We also request people of forest areas dislodge the timber mafia from their area for sustainable protection of forest for their coming generation. Rehmat Ali Jaffardost, Environmental activist]]>