PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Saturday expressed concern over felling of trees in Swat and other parts of Malakand division.

In a statement, he regretted that the concerned authorities justified felling of precious trees instead of taking action against the perpetrators. “The exercise is given legal cover under the Wood Lot Rules 2017,” he said, urging the provincial government to take note of the situation. “The country is already facing serious environmental problems. And instead of planting more trees, the existing trees are being cut down,” he continued.

Mian Iftikhar said civil society organized a rally in Swat to condemn the deforestation. The concerned authorities should take steps to save the precious forest in Malakand division to meet the challenges of climate change, he added.

The ANP leader asked the government to launch an investigation into the frequent incidents of wildfires in various forests in the province.