ISLAMABAD: Frequent fires on Margalla Hills have become a matter of concern as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in recent days also intervened to check the incidents.

Spread over 12,605 hectares, Margalla Hills faced a number of fire incidents every year, and only on Tuesday there were 15 such cases, which indicated some deliberate attempts and human involvement.

Suspecting human involvement, the interior minister ordered an inquiry and directed for the registration of an FIR over the fire incidents.

Following the direction, CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner Mohammad Ali Randhawa and Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi held a meeting at the CDA headquarters on Wednesday, which was also attended by member environment Shahzad Khalil and others.

CDA, police vow to trace any possible human involvement in incidents, especially at Bhara Kahu range

Sources said the participants of the meeting agreed that involvement of mischievous elements cannot be ruled out as 10 fires took place in Bhara Kahu range in a short period of time.

The IGP said the police will cooperate with the CDA and on the request of the civic agency would not only register FIRs but would also try its level best to reach the culprits, if any, behind these fires. The meeting was told that police would use modern technology to trace the alleged culprits.

Dawn spoke to several officials to know the possible reasons behind alleged human involvement in the fire incidents.

They said it was unclear whether these fires were natural or a result of deliberate attempts by some elements. But they said the pattern of fires on Tuesday in Bhara Kahu range was highly suspicious, which needed investigations.

Margalla Hills is being looked after by two organisations — CDA and Islamabad Wildlife Management Board — and during the last a few years they have remained at loggerhead with each other.

Some officials said there was also a possibility that someone who wanted to create a rift between these two bodies was behind the alleged deliberate fire incidents.

The officials said that every year CDA hired over 400 locals for three months for firefighting operations. The locals who could not get the three-month job might be involved in igniting fire to set their scores with CDA and those hired by it.

There could also be a possibility of rivalry amongst the CDA officials and through proxies they might lit the fires. “These are just assumptions and all these fires may be natural,” the officials said.

When contacted, member environment Shahzad Khalil said the CDA and police were on the same page to trace elements behind these fire incidents.

“We have serious doubt about involvement of mischievous elements in recent fire incidents and in today’s meeting IGP Islamabad was kind enough to extend full support of police to trace such elements,” he said and added that it was also decided that he would meet elders of villages to sensitise them about the fire incidents.

“I am going to meet elders of Bhara Kahu range on Thursday (today) for awareness session,” he said, adding CDA had been taking every possible step to control the fires.

Asked about the reasons of fires, the member said he could not say anything before completion of an investigation. “But yes, I would say the role of mischievous elements could not be ruled out.”

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2024