MINGORA, Nov 20: The leaders of the foresters, forest guards and deputy rangers association, NWFP, have complained of lack of staff and other facilities at the forest checkposts.

They have also criticized the police and levies personnel for not supporting the forest staff to overcome the deforestation.

Talking to Dawn correspondent here on Tuesday Nasiruddin Nasir, senior vice-president of the association, Syed Mukamil Shah, finance secretary and Nek Zaman general secretary of the Malakand forest circle said that the forest staff was playing an active role in preservation of the forests, but the staff was also facing some serious problems, which, they said, can’t be ignored.

It was revealed that only in the district Dir thousands of cases had been registered under the Forest Act against the timber smugglers and mafia, but the police never bothered to arrest the accused.

They said that if the police register a case they try to arrest the accused forthwith, but those responsible for destruction of the forests were not arrested, they astonished. It was lamented that the Dir Levies’ attitude was also the same and not extending cooperation in this regard. “We have neither weapons nor allowed to keep our own arms.”

The smugglers have latest vehicles and we do not have even a motor cycle to chase them”, they complained. It was informed that in the Hazara division of NWFP not only the police but the Frontier Constabulary was also fully cooperating with the staff of the forest department.

“Despite all these problems, we have to perform our duties round the clock and to protect the forests. In majority of the forest check posts the facilities of electricity, water and furniture are not available”, but we are doing our duties in all weathers, the association leaders claimed.

About the destruction of forests in the beautiful valleys like Karodara, Nehagdara, they said that an armless forest guard could not protect the tree in such remote areas. They claimed that the forests of Dir had been protected to great extent as compared to the forests of Swat and Hazara division.

In Dir, they added, that the communities had almost protected the forests. They, however, opposed the government’s new policy of protecting the forests and said that only the forest department was in a position to perform the duties.