CHITRAL: The office-bearers of Toshi-Shasha conservancy have condemned the allegation against Mehtar (ruler) of Chitral Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir that he used his influence to get his village conservation committee (VCC) registered with the wildlife department, and termed it ‘politically-motivated and concocted’.

Addressing a press conference here the other day, the office-bearers of a number of VCCs of the conservancy, including Shahzada Gul, Muslim Khan, Mohammad Muzaffar Khan, Sher Wali and others, insisted the conservation body of Bokhtuli Bangla was formed after fulfilling all the codal formalities.

They said that Ali Nasir, who is also a member of the provincial assembly, owned large chunk of land in Bokhtuli village, including a pasture known to one of the famous habitat of Kashmir Markhor, where trophy hunting of the animal was carried out this year by an American national.

They dispelled the impression that the lawmaker had influenced the wildlife department to get his VCC registered with it, and said that his application for the purpose had been in the process long before he was elected MPA.

They said that an authorised forum consisting of the presidents of all the 12 VCCs attached with the conservancy had voted for the registration of the MPA’s VCC by a two-third majority.

Earlier, in their press conference, office-bearers of some other VCCs of the conservancy had accused the MPA of using his position to get his VCC registered with the wildlife department.

They claimed the MPA got a large amount of Rs9 million out of the permit fee of trophy hunting in the conservancy, which the department had auctioned this year.

They also accused the divisional forest officer of favouring the MPA by registering his VCC on the basis of forged documents carrying bogus signatures of the VCC presidents.

When contacted, DFO wildlife Farooq Nabi said that the signatures of the VCC presidents were genuine and the minutes of the meeting were released and conveyed to each and every participant.

He said that majority of the 12 VCC presidents had approved the creation of the new body, whose signatures were on record with him, but they started making a hue and cry when the compensation cheque was delivered for the trophy hunting to the MPA’s VCC.

Mr Nabi said that two more VCCs had also been created at Shoghor and Gahiret on need basis after fulfilling the formalities, including the verification of land record from the land settlement department.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025