GILGIT, Jan 27: An inquiry committee has terminated the services of five forest guards on the charges of dereliction of duty in Nalter, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The committee, headed by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Mohammed Ismail, was formed to probe into a timber scam in which more than 300 alpine trees were hacked away in 1998 by loggers in the presence of the forest guards, the sources said.

They said the guards had implicated the forester and range forest officer of the area in the scam, who were suspended in 1998. The committee absolved the officials of the charges.

The terminated guards are, Mast Ali, Nisar Ahmed, Faqir Khan, Mohammad Sher and Shah Sultan.

DOGS DIG GRAVES: Stray dogs dragged out four bodies buried in the Majeeni Muhallah graveyard.

The unidentified bodies of three children and a woman were brought from Gilgit District Headquarters Hospital, residents said.

They said the bodies were buried four days back but stray dogs dragged them out after digging the graves. They said they had buried the bodies again.