MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is framing new laws and making the existing ones more stringent to protect forests and curb timber smuggling in the province.

This was stated by parliamentary secretary for environment Fazal Ellahi while talking to reporters at the press club here on Tuesday.

“Once the legislation is complete the timber smuggling would be a non-bailable offense,” said Mr Ellahi.

Mansehra deputy commissioner Zulfiqar Shah, district police officer Khuram Rashid, PTI district president Shafahat Ali and secretary general Ishtiaq Khan Swati were also present on the occasion.

Mr Ellahi said district bodies of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had been asked to constitute committees at tehsil and union council level comprising people from different segments of society to curb smuggling and protect forests.

“The district administrations will keep a check on these committees to improve their performance,” he added.

The environment secretary said that 25 per cent amount obtained from penalty on timber smugglers would be given to those who would inform police or the forest department about timber smuggling or illegal cutting of forests.

“I also appeal to journalists in KP in general and in Malakand and Hazara divisions in particular to work for the noble cause of protecting the environment and forests. Journalists will also be paid rewards if timber smugglers are arrested on their stories,” he added.

Mr Ellahi said that majority of lawmakers in the past governments backed by bureaucracy were involved in timber smuggling. He said that the provincial government would pursue cases against timber smugglers now matter how influential they were.

The secretary environment said that the government planned to carry out tree plantation campaigns and grow nurseries to increase forest cover in the province.

Mansehra deputy commissioner Zulfiqar Shah told reporters that closure of all the unlicensed saw machines and deployment of elite force personnel in the forests had helped curb timber smuggling in the district to a great extent.

He said that timber smuggling through rivers had also been checked, adding that he had proposed to the forest department to set up checkposts at entry and exits points of the district.

SHOT DEAD: Two people were shot dead over a land dispute here on Tuesday.

District police officer Khuram Rashid said that a former nazim Khalid Khan, his brother Mohammad Nasir and son Salauddin, shot dead Abdul Wahab and Mohammad Amjid at Shanawaz chowk over a land dispute.

He said the dead were taken to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, where their relatives tried to attack Salauddin, son of Khalid Khan who was also injured in the incident.

They also didn’t allow shifting of the injured to Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad. Police were deployed at the hospital to control the situation.

The relatives of the deceased said the victims were shot dead without any reason and that they would take revenge for the killings.

The DPO Rashid said an FIR was registered against the accused under the Terrorism Act.

He said Khalid Khan was also involved in killing many people in the past.