Title Pakistan Forest Digest Issue 01- A4 - Pakistan Research Group

SDPISustainable Development Policy Instituteto bring the forest ordinance in theprovincial assembly for approvaland said that the controversialprovisions of this ordinance shouldbe removed and a notificationshould be issued to fix forestroyalty as 80 percent in SwatKohistan and Dir Kohistan. Healso demanded that the ban ongreen marking should be lifted andthe period should be extended tofive years from the existing threeyears. Forest plantation should beexpedited. Discretionary powersof the forest officers should bewithdrawn and presence of JFMCshould be declaredmandatory at the timeof signing agreementwith the FDC androyalty installmentsshould be paidregularly.FBR allows export of poplar trees to AfghanistanTaking notice of smuggling of trees to Afghanistan the FBR imposeda nominal tax which has legalized the smuggling. NGOs in Kabulare buying poplar trees at the rate of 1000 to 1400 rupees per treeand giving it away to the Afghan people free of charge. Localindustrialists who purchase trees at the rate of 60 to 100 rupees pertree express concern; ask government to cancel the notificationDaily Mashriq, Peshawar, June 12, 2010Peshawar (News Reporter) Exportof poplar trees to Afghanistan hasincreased after FBR’s notificationpermitting the export. This exporthas brought prosperity to thefarmers. However the owners ofmatch stick factories haveexpressed concern over the export.According to a survey the FBRimposed a nominal tax andlegalized the export of poplar treesto Afghanistan in view of thesmuggling of the trees. Accordingto sources the tree which matchfactory owners did not buy fromthe farmers for a hundred rupees isnow being bought by certainAfghan NGOs for 1000 to 1400rupees. These NGOs aredistributing this wood amongAfghan people to build theirhomes. This has led to an increasein export of poplar trees toAfghanistan but has also causedconcern among the match factoryowners in the province. Matchfactories in Hayatabad IndustrialEstate are at the brink ofbankruptcy due to closure of theindustry.Match factory owners are holdingmeetings with the officials of CBRand the provincial government toget the notification allowingexport of poplar to Afghanistancancelled. Meanwhile the leader ofpoplar traders Haji Raheel andother farmers are of the view thatthe match factory owners werepaying only 60 to 100 rupees for apoplar tree. Now that they aregetting a better price theindustrialists are trying to harmtheirinterest.Janglan: Two vehicles loaded with timber caught; fivepeople arrestedPolice released the vehicles and the people on receiving a letter from thegovernmentDaily Shamal Abbottabad, June 15, 2010Lohar Banda (Our Correspondent)Police caught two vehicles loadedwith smuggled timber and arrestedfive people in the area underSaddar police station’sjurisdiction. According to thedetails police raided on twovehicles carrying illegal timberand impounded them. Howeverwithin 15 minutes of the raid theSaddar police station received aletter that the vehicles and the fiveaccused people should be released.The alleged smugglers then drovethe vehicles to Havelian.Pakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010