KP’s strong timber mafia chopping down forests worth billions

PESHAWAR: Over the past decade, a formidable timber mafia has wreaked havoc on forests stretching from Chitral to Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, logging timber worth a staggering Rs30 billion. The absence of a robust timber policy has left these forests vulnerable, resulting in their gradual deterioration.

According to sources, the forests of Chitral and Dir Upper currently hold an estimated 2.5 million cubic feet of timber, with a market value of Rs12 billion. Shockingly, this valuable timber has been illegally harvested, raising significant concerns about the state of these forests. Notably, in the past, incidents of forest fires have been attributed to the illegal logging, causing substantial damage to the ecosystems.

The lack of government oversight and arrangements for the safe storage of illegally harvested timber has allowed this precious resource to remain at risk. On one hand, this timber is compromising its quality due to improper storage, while on the other, it faces constant threats from theft, floods, and wildfires.

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Sources also reveal that the powerful timber mafia is engaged in smuggling these illicitly harvested timber to Afghanistan, further exacerbating the situation.

The forest department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa introduced a policy in 2016 to regulate the illegal timber trade, which involved the transfer of 874,471 cubic feet of timber from the forests of Chitral and Dir Upper to depots. However, this initiative was later abandoned after facing resistance from local authorities, including the deputy commissioner of Chitral.

Chitral, Dir, and the Indus Kohistan commercial forests also house around 15 to 20 million cubic feet of dry and windfall timber, with an estimated value exceeding Rs18 billion . The Chief Conservator of Forests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed concerns that these valuable timber resources, located on steep mountain slopes, are underutilised due to the absence of a comprehensive forest management plan, including logging, tree marking, and marketing.

Officials from the Forest Department highlighted that the proper management of these forests could potentially generate billions of rupees in annual revenue for the provincial government. This revenue would not only improve forest conservation but also enhance marketing opportunities and benefit the local communities.

It is evident that over the past month, reports and images of illegal logging and timber smuggling in Waziristan, Tirah, and Kumrat have been widely circulated, drawing the attention of the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He has taken serious note of the situation and formed a provincial inspection team to investigate the matter further.