Diamer forest probe: 72 compartments cleared, 53 rejected after revalidation

For years, the forests of Diamer have provided wood, income and support to local communities. But concerns over illegal

Islamabad: For years, the forests of Diamer have provided wood, income and support to local communities. But concerns over illegal cutting and weak checks have now forced a Senate panel to ask a simple question: Who is really watching the forests?

At a meeting held at Parliament House, lawmakers ordered the Forest Department to submit the complete records of its 1,200 employees. They also stopped timber transit licences until physical checks and proper monitoring are completed.

This means timber cannot be transported freely under new licences until officials prove that the cutting is legal and properly checked. Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman chaired the meeting. Senators Nasir Mehmood and Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto also attended.

The committee was told that the forests are privately owned by local people. However, because forests affect the environment, water, wildlife and future generations, their cutting cannot be treated as solely a private matter.

Local communities had earlier demanded a scientific plan so that forests could be used without destroying them. Consequently, a 30-year forest plan was prepared for the period from 2021 to 2050.

The plan covers 122,863 acres and divides the forest land into 343 compartments across six ranges. Officials said healthy young trees must not be cut.

Only dead, dying, diseased, mature or too old can be selected for harvesting.Modern technology, including GIS maps and GPS tracking, is being used to check each forest area. Out of 125 compartments reviewed so far, 72 were approved for possible operations while 53 were rejected.

Felling orders have been issued for six compartments. The first timber extraction is expected to produce 380,481 cubic feet of wood. The total recommended timber yield exceeds 5.4 million cubic feet.

This large amount worried committee members, who said even a small weakness in checking could lead to illegal cutting or unrecorded timber transport. The lawmakers also criticised changes in forest policies over the past 26 years.

They said governments had often treated forests as a source of money instead of protecting them as a natural resource. According to the committee, this damaged local communities’ trust and allowed illegal cutting in some areas.

The Forest Department has now been told to provide service records, job details and performance reports of all its employees. It must also submit old documents and official files dating back to 2003.

The committee wants to know who was responsible for monitoring the forests, which decisions were made and whether officials followed the rules. Timber transit licences will remain stopped until lessees are checked, cutting targets are confirmed and a strong monitoring system is established.