Govt takes major step to curb timber smuggling
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has shifted offices of the Agror Tanawal Forest Division from Mansehra to Oghi to effectively curb timber smuggling.
“The government has taken a major step to preserve the forest area and provide full support to the forest department to curb timber smuggling and illegal cutting of forest in the province,” said Sardar Mohammad Sultan, chief conservator forest, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the newly-constructed offices of Agror Tanawal Forest Division (ATFD) in Oghi on Wednesday.
Assistant commissioner Mohammad Ali, district forest officer Farhad Ali and DFO watershed Riaz Khan were also present on the occasion.
Mr Sultan said that though ATFD had been established some four decades ago, but its offices were established in Mansehra and none of the government during this tenure even attempted to shift these offices to Oghi.
Shifts offices of forest division from Mansehra to Oghi
“Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has given the forest department a free hand to curb timber smuggling and take to justice whoever is involved in it,” said Mr Sultan.
The chief conservator said that the government had recently announced its forest policy which would benefit the owners. He said that the present government had for the first time given due rights to owners and soon they would enjoy real benefits.
Mr Sultan said that because of effective measures taken by the government for protection of forest the timber smuggling and illegal cutting of forest had significantly declined during last one and a half years.
FAKE TEA SEIZED: The district administration has seized a large quantity of fake tea and arrested two brothers in this regard here on Wednesday.
“We have seized over 214 bags of fake tea which was being supplied in packets of various tea brands in parts of Hazara division and arrested two fraudsters,” said assistant commissioner Qasim Ali Khan while speaking to mediapersons.
A team of district food office, police and district administration led by the AC raided a bungalow on Chinar Road and seized over 214 bags of fake tea which was packed and labelled in the name of high quality tea brands.
The two brothers arrested in the raid were identified as Zahirullah and his brother Khursheed, belonging to Peshawar.
“The two were playing with the lives of people by marketing tea which was made of unhygienic ingredients,” said Qasim Ali. He said that the tea was packed in bags carrying the label of WFP to deceive officials of the food department and police in case of transportation to other parts of Hazara.
The city police registered an FIR against the two brothers and have sealed the bungalow.
Govt takes major step to curb timber smuggling - Newspaper - DAWN.COM