KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that the provincial government has waged war against timber mafia, adding that in his opinion killing a human being and cutting a tree are equal crimes hence deforestation in any shape will be considered heinous crime in future. He vowed taking stern action against the elements involved in cutting of forests.
Addressing the participants of a briefing given by Forest Department at Hazara University, Mansehra, he said that new environment policy and strict laws and penalties are being introduced to discourage timber mafia. Chairman, PTI Imran Khan was chief guest on this occasion, while PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen, Provincial President Azam Khan Swati, Provincial Minister Environment Ishtiaq Khan Urmar, former Federal Minister and environment expert Amin Aslam, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Environment Syed Nazar Hussain Shah and other high authorities as well as PTI office bearers and elite of Mansehra also attend it.
The chief minister said that those informing about illicit cutting would be given 25% reward money under whistle blow law being enacted soon and said that there would scientific cutting of trees under strict surveillance and also there would be complete ban on cutting of timber even under windfall law. Pervez Khattak regretted that 20 million standing trees were cut illegal in the pre text of windfall in the limits of Saran forest division in Mansehra that is nothing but destruction of precious wealth of forestry and hence his government was compelled to even ban cutting of trees under windfall.
He said that provincial government was introducing carbon plus policy under which forest wealth would be provided complete cover as well as its area would be increased considerably. Similarly he said that maximum financial benefits would be provided to the owners of the forestry under the new law.
He said that an agreement was being inked with European Union under this policy that would increase our income of forest wealth to the tune of 4-5 billion rupees that would be comparatively much more than income received on cutting of trees. He said that there would be no cutting in forests in future but the owners would be much more compensated accordingly.
He said that actions would be taken against timber mafia by taking the local community into confidence. Similarly he said that element involved in cutting of trees would be given exemplary punishments. Pervez Khattak said that 'Billion Tree Tsunami' program was being launched vigorously in the province wherein a target of planting one billion trees has been fixed that would be outsourced to private nurseries whereas provincial government would just supervise it through Google earth, GIS system and other scientific means. Similarly, this process would be validated through third parties to ensure transparency in plantation and rapid growth of forest area in the province.