SWABI, Jan 14: The massive illegal cutting of shisham trees on Topi-Maini road have irked the Islahi Jirga members who want to see those involved in the crime punished. Either the illegally-cut shisham be recovered or hard cash of equivalent value, they demand.

The alleged offenders use automatic saws for cutting of shisham and accomplish the job within no time. They shift the wood to safer places, and usually carry out their operation at night.

The Islahi Jirga members of Maini union council told Dawn on Friday that they had approached the district nazim, district coordination officer and tehsil municipal officer to seek prompt action against this illegal practice.

"Over the last few days, the thieves have cut shisham worth Rs150,000. It is a great loss and represents degradation of environment," said Muhammad Sultan of the jirga. "Why free hand has been given to thieves to do what they please," he queried.

The Jirga members criticized the "silence" of police and the forest department and said the district government had also been kept in the dark through a well-calculated strategy. In the Jirga meeting, the union council naib-nazim, Israr Ahmad, was also asked about the practice but he pleaded ignorance.

In this connection, they said they had also held a meeting with DSP Topi who had assured them that the thieves would be uncovered very soon. No step has been taken so far in that direction, they regretted. "If the government failed to protect shisham, we would tell the people to cut all the standing trees on the roadside," said one of the members.