'Drugs, cutting of trees pose threat to peace'

CHITRAL, Nov 20: Leaders of different societies have demanded of the government to discourage the menace of drugs and illegal cutting of forest trees to save the environment. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the leaders including former MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, former Mastuj tehsil nazim Shahzada Sikandar, president of district bar association Ghulam Hazrat Inqilabi and human rights activists Niaz A Niazi advocate and Abdul Nasir said the two issues posed threat to the very peace of the area. Expressing their deep concern, they said that the ruthless cutting of trees is degenerating the environment on one hand while on the other the issue of proliferation of drugs is jeopardizing the youth folk. They alleged that the local police is abetting the drug pushers as a result of which the menace has erupted the whole society. The leaders also criticized the local police for arresting and sending to jail the people of Ayun village who had staged a peaceful protest against the cutting of the forests flanking the Kalash valleys. They recalled that the village was devastated by mud flood as a result of deforestation in the Kalash valleys and the residents of Ayun just wanted that such incident should not happen in the future. They warned that the issues of drugs and deforestation are posing threat to the peace of the area.–Zahiruddin]]>