MANSEHRA: Chief conservator for upper parts of Hazara division Farrukh Bashir has directed the divisional forest officers to crack down on the people setting fire to forests.

“We [forest department] have already been working with the assistant commissioner of this tehsil to check the frequent fires, which damage forests and wildlife and pollute environment,” Mr Bashir told reporters in Balakot on Tuesday.

The official said his department sprang into action shortly after learning about forest fires in upper parts of Hazara division.

He said the residents should identify those setting forests on fire so that the department could deal with them strictly.

Official asks residents to identify perpetrators

Mr Bashir said the names of informants would be kept secret. He also urged the administrations of all tehsils to help check frequent fires in forests.

RESHUFFLE: The establishment department on Tuesday reshuffled many BPS-18 officers in Hazara division.

Among them were Mansehra’s additional deputy commissioner general (finance and planning) Nazima Shaheen and another additional deputy commissioner general Maqbool Hussain, who were told to the establishment department for further posting.

Buner ADC (F&P) Fayyaz Mohammad was transferred and posted as the higher education deputy secretary, Lower Dir ADC Jan Mohammad as Buner ADC (F&P), higher education deputy secretary Mohammad Jawad Sardar as the Mansehra ADC (F&P).

Lower Dir ADC (general) Khursheed Alam was made the higher education department deputy secretary against a vacant post.

The department transferred deputy director of the directorate of projects (planning and development of merged areas) Babar Khan Tanoli and posted him the Mansehra ADC (general), while Abbottabad ADC (general) Shahab Mohammad Khan was made the additional secretary of the sports department.

Deputy secretary of the sport department Jibrrel Raza will be the ADC (general) in Abbottabad.

FINED: Four traders were arrested and many others were fined in Balakot tehsil on Tuesday for selling essential goods at prices higher than those fixed by the price control and review committee.

A joint team of the tehsil administration and police led by assistant commissioner Saddam Hussain paid surprise visits to Balakot and Garhi Habibullah bazaars and checked prices and quality of the goods sold.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2022