CHITRAL: The residents of Shekhandeh village in Rumbur valley have demanded of the chief minister to order an inquiry into the ‘illegal’ tree cutting in the area for action against the culpable people.

Addressing a news conference here on Monday, the valley’s elders, including Abdul Saboor Qureshi, Mehrabuddin, Haji Ghulam Rasool, Sarfaraz Khan, Saifullah Jan and Noor Wali Khan, said the commercial harvesting of marked trees was carried out in some areas of the local forest five years ago and the timber was transported to the depot in Chakdara but the felling of greentrees continued.

They insisted that the joint forest management committee was responsible for the practice though was formed by the government to manage and preserve the forest.

The elders said demanded of the chief minister to send an inquiry team to the valley without delay.

WOMEN KILLED: Three women were killed in Upper and Lower Chitral districts.

The police told Dawn that the body of the 35-year-old wife of Qurban Shah from Awi village was found in the local river. The woman had been missing since last Sunday.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old wife of Didar Wali shot herself dead at home in Brep village, while the wife of Munawar Khan was shot dead inside her hut in Jinjirate Koh area.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2021