An appeal to Chief Secretary, KPK

Sir,We the people of Chitral are very grateful to you for your kind visit to Chitral to resolve some crucial problems faced by us in this remote district of the province. In your meeting with departmental heads, political parties’ leaders and members of civil society, a large number of issues were raised for public interest as well as some developmental infrastructure projects also discussed which are dire need of the day. As an environmental activist, I would like to draw your kind attention towards a very important and serious issue which has often received less attention in the decision-making process at the provincial and district level.You are well aware of the situation that Chitral has meager sources of forest which are spread in limited southern parts of the district and supply entire fuel and timber to local community round the year. With increase in population forest resources are depleting with alarming rate due to pressure of growing population on forest resources to meet their fuel and timber requirements.  Although forest resources are not enough to fulfill requirements of local community but another move has been made by provincial government and forest department to eliminate limited forest resources by allowing Commercial Harvesting of Trees in Chitral. Only 4% of Chitral consist of Forest area and these limited forest resources has been severely harvested by contractor involved in the process of marking and artificial harvesting. It is also pertinent to mention here that in the garb of commercial harvest in which collection of wind-fall, dry standing and diseased trees are allowed local timber contractor in collusion with forest official harvested healthy and immature plants in order to get pecuniary benefits after by-passing all the rules of commercial harvests which is conducted for the purpose of re-generation and not for total annihilation of green deodar trees. Your kind honor is requested to order enquiry into the matter that how much damaged Timber contractors, and other collaborators have done in the forest of Kalash Valleys, Shishikoh, Jinjirat kuh and Arrandu in the garb of marking and artificial harvesting and it is also requested to immediately ban on marking till completion of the enquiry by independent and impartial authorities. As last ray of hope we the people of Chitral are requesting you to help us in protecting our green gold and secure future of our new generation. With kind regard, Rehmat Ali Jafardost Environmental activists Chitral Mob# 03005219215