KHYBER: A jirga of various tribes of Tirah valley has banned the transportation of timber, raw furniture and firewood out of the valley in order to discourage uncontrolled cutting of trees and to preserve the local forests.

Held at Bagh-Maidan Markaz, the jirga was also attended by security officials posted in the valley and officials of the forest department and local administration.

It unanimously resolved to form forest protection and vigilance committees in consultation with local communities and representatives of the security forces and forest officials.

The committees would be assigned additional responsibilities of allowing cutting of trees for local requirements after thorough verification from local sources about consumption of timber and firewood locally.

The jirga will establish a checkpost at Painda Cheena in collaboration with the officials of the forest department and it will be fully supported by the security forces and local communities to keep a strict vigil on illegal transportation of all types of timber.

Sources in Tirah and Sheen Kamar areas had earlier complained about a large-scale cutting of forest trees in different parts of the valley. They, however, demanded of the relevant officials to allow the dealers to pick and collect timber already chopped for commercial purposes prior to the start of military operation in Tirah in 2012.

They said that timber worth millions of rupees was either lying in the mountains or buried under debris in the natural gorges due to an earlier ban imposed soon after the launch of military operation.

Officials of the forest department said that they had initiated consultations with the local tribes for the classification of local forests and then to persuade them to allow extension of regular forest laws to the region.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2021