Huge quantity of timber seized, says official

MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department’s patrolling squad in the lower parts of the Hazara division has seized a huge quantity of timber which was being smuggled through the Karakoram Highway and Hazara Motorway to parts of the country.

“We have launched a crackdown against timber smuggling and have seized over 827 square feet of high-quality woods, arresting around two dozen smugglers,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Junaid Khan told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had imposed a complete ban on forest cutting and the transportation of timber last year to preserve the environment.“We have intensified our patrolling activities and secured all Hazara Motorway interchanges from Haripur to Mansehra to ensure effective raids and vehicle monitoring,” Khan said.

He added that Conservator Farhad Ali had been personally monitoring patrolling activities in the region to curb timber smuggling effectively.“Owing to effective patrolling and the seizure of dozens of vehicles loaded with smuggled wood on the KKH and Hazara Motorway, the rate of illegal logging in forests has significantly decreased,” Khan said.The DFO further stated that raids were also being conducted on warehouses where smuggled timber and wooden beams were secretly stored.