April - June, 2010 - Sustainable Development Policy Institute

SDPISustainable Development Policy InstituteEnglish Translations of Urdu ClippingsProtest in Oghi against reckless cutting of trees andsmuggling of timber• Officials of Forest Department are also involved in illegal cutting;• Timber mafia has been given a free hand.• Committees have been formed to protect forests. Action will be taken:Speakers address the meetingDaily Jang, Rawalpindi, April 15, 2010Oghi – People of Upper Tanawalstrongly protested against thereckless cutting of trees andunchecked smuggling of timberfrom the government-ownedforests of Doga Jampial, Karori,and Jalo Gali. A protest rally washeld at Karori which wasaddressed by former chairmanLala Qalandar Khan, President ofForest Committee Malik Yunus,Mohammad Javed, Sirajuddin,Mohammad Miskeen and otherparticipants. The speakers saidthat the forests are being cutruthlessly with the collusion of theofficials of the Forest Departmentand timber is being smuggled outopenly using Datsun trucks andmules. The Forest Department hasgiven a free hand to the timbermafia. If this amount of cutting oftrees continues the forests willvery soon turn into bare lands.This will cause excess silting inTarbela Dam reservoir. Thespeakers said that this was aquestion of future and survival ofour coming generations.Committees for the protection offorests were formed during thepublic meeting. Our foremosttarget would be the people whoprovide support to the timbermafia at the local level, theparticipants of the rally said.Stop cutting trees in Satellite Town: ResidentsInstead of cutting the trees new trees should be planted: residents demandDaily Jang, Rawalpindi, April 24, 2010Rawalpindi (Lady Reporter)Office-bearers of socialorganizations and activists of thecivil society have condemned thecutting of trees along roadsidesand in grounds in various areas ofSatellite Town, Rawalpindi. Theyhave demanded that massslaughter of trees shouldimmediately be stopped and newtrees should be planted. OnTuesday the Tehsil MunicipalAdministration (TMA) cutnumerous trees in ChandniChowk, Saidpur Road and otherareas. The justification given bythe administration was that thetrees can cause accidents. On thisoccasion women residents of thearea Zenab Bibi, Samina Shaikh,Noreen Saeed and Noshaba Gulcondemned the cutting of trees bythe TMA. Meanwhile, studentsand teachers of the schools locatedin these areas have also criticizedthe cutting of trees.Bid to smuggle timber worth a huge amount of money foiled;Accused arrestedDaily Nawa-i-Waqt, Islamabad, April 25, 2010Kallar Saiydan (Our Correspondent) Punjab HighwayPatrolling Police during its patrol foiled an attempt tosmuggle timber worth a huge amount of money toBhakkar and arrested one of the accused. According toPakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010