Battagram admin asked to take action against timber smugglers.

BATTAGRAM -- The local social activists have demanded of the authorities to take action against timber smugglers for cutting precious trees ruthlessly in the district.

They alleged that deforestation continued in the district unchecked as timber smugglers were cutting trees on the mountains. They said that recently dozens of trees worth millions of rupees were chopped down Pashto Baba Band area in Allai tehsil.

Shafique, a local, told this scribe that he himself saw chopped trees lying on ground during his visit to a nearby mountain. He alleged that timber smugglers cut trees in an organised way with the help of police and forest officials.

Mohammad Irfan, a social activist, also alleged that the timber smugglers were backed by officials and influential political families.

Nimatullah, another local, said that on one hand officials planted saplings to execute the billion tree tsunami plantation campaign and on the other backed timber smugglers to cut down trees.

He alleged that forest officials, recruited for guarding forests, were not even visiting their respective areas. He said that officials...