PESHAWAR, Oct 15: Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has said that the provincial government has recently legitimized transportation of timber from Afghanistan to Pakistan in order to counter smuggling and other irregularities.

He was speaking to a delegation of forest owners of Dir, Swat and Kohistan here on Wednesday. The minister said the government was also evolving a new strategy to give the forestry sector and local timber a boost.

The delegation led by MPAs Farid Khan and Malik Amirzada apprised the minister about forest owners’ grievances on forest ownership and royalty.

They termed the forest ordinance and policy unjust and contrary to the public interests.