MANSEHRA: The anti-corruption establishment on Wednesday arrested a tehsil councillor on the charge of timber smuggling.

District and tehsil nazims protested the arrest and said they would challenge it in the court of law.

“We have arrested Khalid Qureshi, a member of Mansehra tehsil council and chairman of the joint forest management committee, for illegally cutting trees in Mundachicha forests and then transporting timber valuing over Rs20 million to the country’s big markets on fake documents. He worked hand in glove with forest officers,” ACE circle chief Sohail Ahmad told reporters here.

The ACE official said the arrested councillor was wanted in two cases of timber smuggling. He said forest officials Ahmad Nawaz, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Ayub had already been arrested in the cases.

Sohail Ahmad said the councillor had secured pre-arrest bail in one of two cases.

Meanwhile, district nazim Said Ghulam and tehsil nazim Khurram Khan protested the arrest.

“The arrest of a respectable tehsil council member even though he’d secured pre-arrest bail is unlawful and unacceptable,” Said Ghulam told reporters.

Khurram Khan said a resolution would be tabled in tehsil council against the ‘victimisation’ of its member.

He said the ACE should have informed the tehsil council’s convener before proceeding against a councillor.

“We’ll consult our lawyers before moving the relevant court of law against the illegal arrest,” he said.

Both the nazims accompanied by some councillors met Qureshi at the Saddar police station. They also spoke to the ACE officials there.

MEMBERS OF PTI COMMITTEES NAMED: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Mansehra chapter, named members of its district re-organising and advisory committees on Wednesday.

The nominations were unanimously finalised during a meeting chaired by provincial PTI chief organiser Fazal Mohammad Khan at a local hotel.

Former provincial assembly candidate Babar Saleem Swati was made district chief organiser and former PTI district president Sardar Khan deputy organiser, while former National Assembly candidate Niaz Khan Serkhali was named convener of the 24-member advisory committee.

**Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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