PESHAWAR: A controversy between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal governments has erupted over the transfer of Secretary Forest, Environment and Wildlife Department Shahid Zaman.
In a letter dated August 1, 2025, the Establishment Division rejected KP’s request to retain him and directed that he be relieved immediately in compliance with the July 25 transfer notification.
The KP government has retained the services of Shahid Zaman, after “some powerful quarters” allegedly tried to have him posted out of the province through the Establishment Division.
A government official told this correspondent that a powerful nexus of timber smugglers, land grabbers and politically connected commercial operators is being accused of orchestrating the attempt to remove Zaman following his sweeping crackdown on illegal timber sales, unlawful mineral extraction and commercial encroachment in forest lands.
The controversy came to a head on July 25, 2025, when the Establishment Division issued a transfer notification for Zaman. However, the provincial government intervened, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur formally requesting the Centre to let him continue, citing his pivotal role in safeguarding the province’s forests.
According to government sources, Shahid Zaman’s removal was pushed by vested interests angered by his decisive actions. These include blocking the sale of 1.4 million cubic feet of illegal timber in Arandu Gol, Chitral, valued at nearly Rs8 billion, seizing 0.65 million cubic feet in Batagram, Hazara, and halting further stockpiles in other valleys of Hazara.
He also rejected a proposal to remove 0.6 million acres of Guzara forests in Hazara from the control of the Forest Department, a move that would have opened the door to mass commercialisation through roads, farmhouses, hotels and motels.
Zaman has also been tackling large-scale encroachments in reserved and Guzara forests in the Galiat region, especially in Makanial and the KP side of the Margalla Hills adjoining Islamabad, where forest land has been converted for irregular commercial use.
A departmental review under Zaman’s tenure declared several earlier orders unlawful for violating the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Ordinance, 2002, and the Management of Guzara Forest Rules, 2004. All were subsequently withdrawn. Key cases include:
Order No. 57 (22 May 2023) — Issued by the ex-Conservator of Forests, Lower Hazara, allowing mineral mining in Guzara forests. Withdrawn on 26 July 2024.
Order No. 60 (11 Jan 2024) — Issued by the ex-Chief Conservator of Forests, Region-II Abbottabad, authorising timber extraction without legal procedure. Withdrawn on 23 August 2024.
Order No. 17 (4 Dec 2023) — Issued by the Conservator of Forests, Upper Hazara, permitting mineral mining in Guzara forests. Withdrawn on 26 July 2024.
Circular No. 55 (6 March 2024) — Granted NOCs for mineral leases in designated forests without following the law. Withdrawn on 23 August 2024.
Letter No. 618–21 (31 July 2024) — Allowed a private company to use encroached forest land in Haripur for commercial attractions. Withdrawn on 3 September 2024.
Officials and activists believe these reversals, along with Zaman’s rejection of proposals to open forests for mining and tourism infrastructure without environmental safeguards, triggered intense lobbying from influential quarters. The same groups are believed to have backed the transfer move to neutralise resistance and reopen channels for illegal profits.
An official from the federal government rejected the allegations and told this correspondent that the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) is an All-Pakistan Service, with its officers required to serve in both federal and provincial governments. The Establishment Division oversees their career planning and ensures equitable distribution of officers among all federating units, allowing for the exchange of experience across governments. At present, the occupancy rate of PAS officers in BS-20 posts stands at 44 percent nationwide, with 14 such officers are serving in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, all considered fully capable of performing their assigned duties.