MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 12: The government has not lifted nor is it contemplating lifting the ban on commercial felling of trees in Azad Kashmir, a minister informed the AJK Legislative Assembly here on Monday.

Opposition MLA Gulzar Fatima had claimed in a call attention notice that the ban imposed by the People’s Party government on timber felling had been lifted by the present regime, which was unfair in view of rapid depletion of forests.

She said there was already about 12 million cubic-feet wood in the depots of

Azad Kashmir Logging and Sawmills Corporation (AKLASC), which was enough for two years.

In response, Forests, Agriculture and Tourism Minister Mufti Mansoorur Rehman said the government had not taken any decision to lift the ban and was rather taking stringent measures for protection and promotion of forests.

He said the notice was not based on correct information.

The minister, however, clarified that diseased, decaying or dead trees were being regularly extracted in the forests.

Opposition’s Sahibzada Ishaq Zafar suggested that the government should take up the issue with the federal government to get additional grant of Rs400 million, which the AJK government used to generate from commercial felling of forests.

Earlier, the house unanimously adopted a resolution tabled by Sahibzada Zafar to bring the Tajweedul Quran Trust out of financial crisis and fix service structure and basic pay scales for the Qaris in Madaris under the trust.

Sahibzada Zafar had pointed out that the government used to provide grant to the trust from Auqaf and Zakat profit fund, which had been stopped since long. The trust, he said, could not establish new Madaris due to lack of resources.

Furthermore, he pointed out, the Qaris of the trust were getting a monthly honorarium of Rs1,200, which was less even than what the peons were getting in government schools. He said the trust was a semi-government organization with AJK president as its chief and the previous governments had aided it from different heads.

The ruling party’s Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan supported the resolution and said the alleged discrimination with the trust should be removed.

Sanaullah Qadri, Abdul Waheed Khan, Noreen Arif and Begum Shireen Waheed of the ruling party and Munir Awan of opposition also supported the resolution.

Law Minister Raja Nisar Ahmed maintained that the trust could not be made a part of the education department, but said the government would give due consideration to the recommendations of the house.

Finance and Rehabilitation Minister Shah Ghulam Qadir informed the house that the committee constituted by the AJK government to assess the losses caused to Kashmiri refugees in Rawalpindi in recent floods had finalized its report, which would be presented to the prime minister for his orders, after his return from his foreign tour.

He said the government would try to provide appropriate compensation to the victims.

The issue was moved through a call attention notice by Raja Mujahid Khan of the People’s Party.

Earlier, during the question hour, the law minister told the house in response to a question by opposition’s Chaudhry Mohammad Rasheed that the process to dismiss 856 teachers in accordance with a notification of July 14 was underway.

He, however, said that many of the teachers had obtained stay orders from courts, due to which they could not be dismissed so far.

He said the vacant posts had either been filled or were being filled in accordance with the merit list.

The minister denied that the step was being taken under vengeance and said the appointments were illegal.