‘No leniency to be shown to tree cutters’

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Forests and Environment Minister Fazal Hakeem Khan Yousafzai said that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in illegal deforestation in the province. He warned that not a single person would be shown any form of leniency.

Despite an official ban on tree cutting in the province, some elements are continuing the practice. He said action is being taken against individuals involved in the felling of trees in Battagram district, adding that steps included suspending three forest officials and filing FIRs against the culprits involved.

He made it clear that those involved will be brought to justice, and no one will be granted amnesty. “Forests and tourism are interlinked, and a record tree-planting campaign will be undertaken in K-P,” the minister boasted.

Yousafzai expressed these views while talking to the delegations from different areas at his office in Peshawar. The minister stated that a viral video on social media showing the cutting of trees in the Alai Forest Sub-Division of Battagram had been noted. He assured strict action against those involved.

In response, he said that authorities promptly took action by forming an eight-member committee, headed by Range Forest Officer Syed Zubair Shah, who had been directed to submit a report within two days. According to the committee report, three forestry department officials were found involved in the illegal activities along with a civilian. Based on the committee’s report, both the civilian and the three forestry officials were found guilty. The officials have been suspended from their jobs, and further investigations have been ordered. Additionally, an FIR has been registered against the involved individuals.

Yousafzai instructed Forest Department officials to keep a strict watch on such incidents and not to show any leniency towards those involved in deforestation. He emphasised that further measures should be taken to protect forests and that the department should remain alert to prevent such attempts.

Billion Trees Plus kicks off in Peshawar

With the aim to ultimately sow more than a billion trees in the region, a plantation campaign has officially kicked off in five districts of Peshawar. As many as 4,000 saplings will be planted in Peshawar by the central workers of WSSP.

The end goal is plant over a billion trees in the region to combat climate change. For the campaign, 0.75 million saplings were provided to the administrations of the Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand and Khyber districts by the Forestry Department.