Timber mafia removes 6,000 trees in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Despite Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial government claims, the timber mafia has cut down and removed more than 6,000 trees from the Garhi Chandan area in Peshawar.

The local people have expressed their grave concern over the act and lodged illegal tree cutting complaint against the mafia with the police. According to the people, on the one hand, the PTI KP government was claiming to plant millions of trees in the province while on the other hand, the timber mafia was busy in illegally cutting down trees in some areas of the Peshawar city.

The Wildlife Department secretary claimed that the department did not own the government land in the said areas and illegal tree cutting might be going on at personal land. Members of the advisory committee of Garhi Chandan area including Nazar Moeen, Sorat Khan, Ehsan Sher, Raes Khan, Hazrat Gul and Waliur Rehman have submitted a written application at the Matni Police Station saying that the KP government planted many trees in their area, however, some timber mafia was busy in illegally cutting down timber and transferring it to other places. They called upon the government and police to take action against this mafia involved in illegal cutting of trees.