PESHAWAR: Awami National Party workers on Saturday held a protest demonstration here against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments for failing to douse the wildfires raging in different forests of the two provinces.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for immediate action to bring the wildfires under control, the protesters shouted against the relevant provincial and federal government departments.

Addressing the protest, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the wildfire had destroyed precious forests in Balochistan’s Sherna district and Sulaiman Range, but the relevant authorities meant for disaster management were least bothered to take immediate steps for extinguishing the blaze.

He said local people and volunteers were making efforts to bring the fire under control, but failed in the face of ferocious blaze. He said there were reports about death of some volunteers after they came under burning pine nut trees.

The ANP leader asked the National Disaster Management Authority and other federal institutions to help control the fire, otherwise it would spread to entire range of precious pine nut forests in Balochistan.

Criticising the KP government, he said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was least bothered to take measures for dousing the fire. He said the provincial government should allocate funds to save the forests instead of spending official resources on its public meetings.

Mr Hussain said most of the forests on fire located in Pakhtun areas and they were the ultimate sufferers. “ANP will raise voice against the criminal negligence on part of the relevant governments if prompt action is not taken to control the wildfire,” he warned.

ANP leaders Khushdil Khan, Abidullah Abid and Yaseen Khalil were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2022