UPPER DIR, Dec 28: Shareholders in forests of Ashrait Gualdai here have urged the government to take action against certain elements creating problems for them in transportation of legally cut timber to rest of the country.

Talking to Dawn, some shareholders, including Anar Gul, Mohammad Sadiq, Mohammad Zahir and Malik Omar, said that those disallowing transportation of timber had no share in the forests. “They have lost litigation in the civil court and now have appealed in Darul Qaza,” said Mr Sadiq said.

They said that they had cut the trees legally, which would decay if not transported now and cause millions of rupees loss to both the government and timber owners, as both had a 40:60 share in the timber.

They also said that if they failed to transport the timber to market the government could fine them for this.

The shareholders said the forest department had imposed a heavy fine on them, as the timber lying there had decayed. “We are not responsible for it,” they said.

“The government should impose fine on those who are stopping us from transporting the timber,” Mr Sadiq said.

They named Mir Zaman, Akhtar Khan, Sirajuddin and Shamsur Rahman for stopping transportation of timber and warned that if they again tried to create problems for the tribes and government in cutting trees, they would be responsible for the consequences.