Rawalpindi: a gateway for smuggling wood

[Naveed Yaseen]

Malik Ayub Sumbal

Rawalpindi has become a hub for timber mafia as well as gateway for smuggling of wood to big timber depots in the Punjab province.

District Forest Officer Athar Shah Khagga told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that people, having a strong political backing, are involved in the smuggling of wood in violation of the Forest Act 1927. There is complete ban on the transportation of wood from one province to another and from one district to another district, he added.

According to the Forest Act 1927, vehicles carrying wood can move only in daylight to avoid smuggling. He said that wood is smuggled to Punjab from NWFP, Afghanistan and AJK. According to him, Rawalpindi is the gateway for smuggling of wood. “Seventy percent of wood is being smuggled in connivance with officials of the Forest Department and police,” he added.

Athar Shah said that there are a number of wood depots of the government in Punjab, NWFP and AJK. The smuggled wood attracts customers because of its low prices. There are many private timber depots which are associated with the wood business without any check and balance. There are big timber stores in Pirwadhai, Dhoke Hassu, Bagh Sardaran, Peshawar Road, Morgah, Sadiqabad, Khanna and Chaklala. Most of these timber stores have occupied the land of Pakistan Railways and other government departments.

According to him, some timber stores are located in residential areas posing a serious threat to residents in case of any untoward incident like fire.

Talking to ‘The News,’ the residents of these localities have expressed concern over the existence of wood depots in residential areas.

Muhammad Ahmed, a resident of Dhoke Hassu, said “We are residing near a depot of wood. There are no safety measures in case of fire.”

Hukam Dad Khan, the owner of a wood depot in Pirwadhai, said that they don’t purchase the smuggled wood. “I don’t think that these depots are dangerous for people living in the neighbourhood,” he added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=176105