Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD, Feb 20, 2026: Despite intense political pressure, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah has ordered a crackdown on the timber mafia and the immediate arrest of 11 individuals allegedly involved in the destruction of Chitral’s forests.
Well-placed sources confirmed to ChitralToday that the chief secretary ordered Deputy Commissioner Lower Chitral Rao Hashim Azeem to arrest 11 individuals allegedly involved in the illegal timber operation in Chitral, and accused of devastating the district’s forests.
The chief secretary also directed the deputy commissioner to take swift action by detaining the suspects under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. The deputy commissioner subsequently instructed the district forest officer (DFO) to compile a report on the individuals.
The sources added that once the DFO completes the report, arrest orders will be issued in line with the chief secretary’s instructions, marking a milestone in the effort to save Chitral’s rapidly disappearing forests from the timber mafia.
Following their arrests, they added, the 11 suspected timber mafia members and their ringleaders would be handed over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigation.
Sources said some of the suspects had political connections, particularly within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and were trying to hinder the investigation and delay their arrests. However, the sources said both the chief secretary and the secretary forests had made it clear that no one will be spared.
Documents obtained by ChitralToday showed the extent of illegal timber trade in Chitral, showing alarming quantities of wood in the possession of the suspects.
According to the data, the following individuals are accused of hoarding large amounts of timber:
Fazal Malik: 2,000 scants (8,000.00 cu ft), 330 logs (6,599.57 cu ft) and 560 trees (52,338.00 cu ft), totalling 66,937.57 cubic feet.
Hazrat Amin: 10,800 scants (38,177.46 cu ft), 2,144 logs (60,949.06 cu ft), and 3,139 trees (359,315.00 cu ft), with a grand total of 458,441.52 cubic feet.
Rab Nawaz: 3,800 scants (15,200.00 cu ft), 645 logs (8,280.53 cu ft), and 619 trees (77,011.00 cu ft), summing up to 100,491.53 cubic feet.
Siraj Ahmad: 14,700 scants (49,755.52 cu ft), 1,031 logs (41,609.76 cu ft), and 392 trees (69,313.00 cu ft), totalling 160,678.28 cubic feet.
Bakht Nazar: 15,262 scants (51,607.87 cu ft), 3,735 logs (81,353.25 cu ft), and 418 trees (35,042.00 cu ft), for a total of 168,003.12 cubic feet.
Jamsheed Khan: 2,000 scants (8,000.00 cu ft), 144 logs (3,183.00 cu ft), and 131 trees (27,819.00 cu ft), with a total of 39,002.00 cubic feet.
Hakim Khan: 1,722 scants (6,452.22 cu ft), 597 logs (9,926.54 cu ft), and 191 trees (23,853.00 cu ft), adding up to 40,231.76 cubic feet.
Khalid Parvez: 16,500 scants (65,144.00 cu ft), 1,187 logs (21,732.31 cu ft), and 588 trees (112,930.00 cu ft), totalling 199,806.31 cubic feet.
Ali Muhammad Khan: No scants, but 2,161 logs (35,320.27 cu ft) and 883 trees (82,070.00 cu ft), with a total volume of 117,390.27 cubic feet.
Muhammad Ajam: 2,000 scants (8,000.00 cu ft), 326 logs (3,731.73 cu ft), and 208 trees (20,901.00 cu ft), totalling 32,632.73 cubic feet.
Muhammad Riaz: 257 scants (1,078.00 cu ft), 3,124 logs (61,237.00 cu ft), and 203 trees (21,286.00 cu ft), bringing his total to 83,601.00 cubic feet.
The combined stockpile of illegal timber amassed by these individuals totals an astounding 1,467,216.09 cubic feet, consisting of 6,904 scants, 15,424 logs, and 7,332 trees.
The accused are central to the environmental devastation in Chitral, where unchecked deforestation has caused severe soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and disrupted fragile ecosystems.
Locals fear for the sustainability of the district’s resources. “These activities are destroying our forests,” said a resident. “The timber mafia is draining Chitral’s resources for personal gain.”
A senior government official warned, “The rapid depletion of these forests threatens our way of life and disrupts the delicate balance of our ecosystem.”
Related:
Chitral timber mafia making hay out of govt’s ‘windfall policy’.
Govt hands in glove with timber mafia in destroying Chitral’s forests.
