January 08, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 28, 1428

PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The ongoing military operation in North Waziristan has destroyed thousands of trees in the volatile region. Scores of trees planted alongside the main highways and other areas in the agency had been chopped down for security reasons, sources said.

Security forces believe that militants had been taking advantage of roadside trees for carrying out subversive activities, they said.

Officials in the Fata Secreta-riat told Dawn that trees planted in the late 70s on both sides of the Bannu-Miramshah road and other routes had vanished in the aftermath of the military operation.

“Security officials say that militants bind improvised explosive devices to trees at a specific height and detonate them when military convoys pass through,” an official said. Security forces had suffered a number of casualties through such tactics, he added.

He said that local people had cut down trees along the main highway after receiving the go ahead from authorities concerned and with the consent of the directorate of forests. He added that only verbal instructions had been given and no written directives were issued in this regard.

“Security forces encourage villagers to remove roadside trees and block plantation in certain areas,” he said. The ruthless deforestation in the area, he said, had not only gravely affected the environment but also caused a significant loss to the national exchequer.

Sources said that residents of Nowrek area in Mirali sub-division were cutting down trees in the surroundings of a religious seminary.

They said the local forest directorate had not collected information about the number of trees chopped down as its staff had no access to the region.

The directorate had shifted its office from Miramshah to the adjoining Bannu district because of the poor law and order situation and suspended all activities in the troubled region.