SWAT: In a significant demonstration of public discontent, the civil society and trekkers’ community of Swat organized a large-scale protest and rally against illegal deforestation in the region. Viral videos circulating on social media have exposed widespread illegal logging activities, with footage of timber-laden trucks smuggling high-quality wood out of Swat further inflaming public outrage.
The protesters, comprising a diverse cross-section of society including trekkers, social activists, lawyers, doctors, and students, marched peacefully from Government Postgraduate Jahanzeb College Swat to the district courts. Carrying placards demanding an end to deforestation and forest fires, the participants voiced their strong opposition to the ongoing environmental degradation.
Addressing the gathering, Azhar Uddin from the trekkers’ community condemned the “Woodlot Act 2017,” calling it a facade for illegal logging operations. “The Woodlot Act is a cover-up for illegal cutting, and the entire department is complicit in this heinous crime,” he asserted. He further criticized the Act in light of the Climate Change Act 2014 and the proceedings of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 27, labeling it a clear violation of both national and international laws.
Another protester and civil society member highlighted the alarming increase in illegal logging since the appointment of the current Minister of Forests and Climate Change. “The rate of deforestation has surged alarmingly since the minister took office,” he stated. “This brutal deforestation is not only tarnishing the natural beauty of Swat but also exacerbating the effects of climate change in the region. Swat is the second most climate-vulnerable district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan ranks third globally in climate change impacts according to the World Food Program.
In response, Fazal Hakeem, the Minister of Forests and Climate Change, who is also a native of Swat, defended the logging activities as legal. “The cutting of trees is conducted within legal bounds, and I have instructed the forest department to comply with all legal requirements for lawful logging,” he stated, dismissing the issue as propaganda by his political opponents.
As the protest concluded, the participants vowed to continue their efforts until substantial actions are taken to curb illegal deforestation and protect Swat’s forests. The demonstration underscores a growing environmental movement in the region, calling for sustainable forest management and stricter enforcement of environmental laws to preserve Swat’s natural heritage for future generations.
