MUZAFFARGARH: A ‘mysterious’ fire erupting in Lashariwala forest near Taunsa Barrage on Sunday threatens not only the trees and plants but also the wildlife in the area where politically influential people, allegedly involved in land grabbing and illegal hunting seem to be law unto themselves.

As per local sources, the fire erupted in the forest early on Sunday, despite presence of a police checkpoint that was set up in the area following a massive blaze there around a year ago.

Local officials say the fire breaking out in Lashariwala in March 2021 had burnt down around 1,000 acres of forest area, besides destroying wildlife, including birds and deer.

The sources say that some influential local politicians are behind the fire incidents as they get the forest land cleared through such tactics for illegal occupation and later cultivation of crops.

Local politicians blamed

They say that such elements use their political influence to render local police and forest department officials ineffective and get away with their illegal activities.

They add that same elements are also involved in illegal hunting of migratory birds visiting the area every season.

When asked about such illegal activities in the forest area, some police officials manning the checkpoint expressed their helplessness before local politicians allegedly involved in such acts.

Sadly, this all is happening in an area that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar wanted to turn into a ‘Safari Park’ and he had allocated Rs300 millions for the purpose.

Locals allege that the March 2021 fire in Lashariwala forest was also a deliberate criminal act committed at the behest of some politicians.

Following the fire incident last year, on the direction of chief minister, three provincial departments had sent their teams to probe into the matter, respectively led by Punjab Chief Conservator (forests) Noor Gul, Wildlife Deputy Director Naveed Tariq and officials of district administration.

The teams had visited Taunsa Barrage to record the damage done by the fire to the local wildlife and trees. However, despite the passage of a year, the probe was still incomplete and no report was presented to the government for taking action against the culprits, the sources said, adding that only an FIR was registered against a former MNA and his brother, belonging to the opposition (PML-N).

Later, on the orders of the chief minister, Lashariwala forest, that was actually pond area under irrigation department, was placed under the control of provincial forest department to establish a Safari park, banning hunting in the area. A police checkpoint was also established there to check illegal activities.

Malik Khadim Khar, a local activist of the Sindho Bachao Tarla says the people were waiting for Safari park, but some local politicians were freely hunting birds and deer in the area, while the police looked other way.

When Dawn contacted ruling PTI MPA Ashraf Rind for his stance, he denied the allegations and expressed ignorance about the forest fire incident.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2022