Two senior forest officials were abducted, physically assaulted and later released in Khipro of district Sanghar during an anti-encroachment drive on Wednesday.
District Forest Officer Mumtaz Majidano and Forester Deen Muhammad were kidnapped by unknown gunmen near Khipro town of Sanghar district.
Confirming the incident, Chairman Forest Officer Welfare Foundation All Sindh Muhammad Rafique told The Express Tribune that both officials were abducted during the drive. "Action is being taken on court orders against encroachers," he said.
Rafique added that the kidnapers released his colleagues after two hours. The incident took place at around 1pm.
Senior officials said that at least 60 acres Sindh Forest Department land was illegally encroached upon by some influential people of the area and a drive was against them was ongoing.
Rafique said that the forest officials were already warned by the miscreants not to take action against them.
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He also claimed that the kidnappers were using a Sindh government vehicle. All the top officials of the department were immediately informed about the incident.
Rafique announced that all the forest offices across Sindh will observe a strike on Thursday [today]. "We demand the immediate arrest of the kidnappers," he demanded.
Sources said that thousands acres of forest land have been encroached and Sindh High Court has ordered the department to take back the custody of the state land. "These kind of atrocities against officials will discourage them to work independently and honestly," a senior officer of the department commented.
"It also clearly indicates the political clout to these goons," he added, saying forest officials will not be in a position to comply with court orders without proper security. An FIR of the incident had not been registered till the filing of this report.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2022.
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