DERA GHAZI KHAN: Khombhi Border Military Police have registered a case against five members of a timber ‘mafia’ for allegedly torturing a forest department official.

The case was registered against Qadir Bakhsh, Muhammad Ali, Shahid and two unidentified suspects under sections 379, 506, 186, 353, 148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code.

An employee of the Rajanpur Forest Range Department, Sohail Asghar, filed an application with the Border Military Police Station in Khombhi against the suspects for registering a case.

He said during a visit to Rakh Raigistan Pachahdi with two BMP officials, Manzoor and Iftikhat Hussain, they encountered members of the timber mafia illegally cutting down centuries-old Jal trees (Salvadora Oleoides). The suspects assaulted the forest employee and tore his uniform, hurling life threats at him if they were to be intercepted again, before fleeing the scene.

It is pertinent to mention that the Jal tree holds a significant medicinal value, with its pharmacological actions and phytochemistry being utilised in the treatment of various ailments such as piles, tumors, bronchitis, cough, rheumatism, fever, and conjunctivitis.

Additionally, its fruit, known as peelu, contains fresh water, historically serving as a hydration source for desert dwellers. Moreover, the branches of the Jal tree have been utilised as Miswak, or toothbrushes, by the people of the Indus Valley for over 3,000 years.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2024