Fire in Rare Juniper Forests of ‘Felah’ Area in Ziarat Rages for Four Days; Thousands of Precious Trees Reduced to Ashes; Absence of Effective Firefighting Measures by Government and Relevant Departments Extremely Alarming: Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party
Immediate Relief Operations Should Be Carried Out via Helicopter in the Difficult Mountainous Terrain; Demand for Transparent Investigation into the Incidents of Arson
QUETTA (Daily Qudrat) — In a statement issued from the provincial secretariat of the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party, expressing deep concern over the fire that has been raging for the past four days in the precious, rare and historic juniper forests in the Felah area of Ziarat district, it was said that if the fire is not brought under control immediately, there is a risk of irreparable damage to the precious forests of a wider area as a result.
The statement said that in the Felah mountainous area of Union Council Kachh of Ziarat district, extremely dense juniper forests exist, where a fire has been burning for the past four days, and so far thousands of rare and precious trees have been engulfed by the fire and burnt. Despite this, effective and practical arrangements by the government and relevant departments to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading further have not yet come to light, which is an extremely alarming matter. Due to the dry weather and strong winds, there is a severe risk of the fire spreading to a wider area, which could cause irreparable damage to the rare juniper forests.
The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party said that the juniper forests in the Felah area are of extreme importance for the province’s natural environment, biodiversity and ecological balance. These rare forests are not only part of Ziarat’s natural beauty and identity, but their ecological role is also extremely important. The damage caused to these forests is not limited to the loss of trees alone; its effects persist for generations to come on the environment, wildlife, land and local population.
The statement said that due to the failure to control the fire in time and the failure of relevant institutions to take immediate action, the situation could become more serious. The government should, on an emergency basis, dispatch all available resources, firefighting staff, vehicles and necessary equipment to the affected area, while immediate helicopter assistance should be obtained to extinguish the fire in the difficult mountainous terrain so that the fire can be brought fully under control and further precious forests can be saved from destruction.
The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party said that in the past as well, precious and rare forests in Ziarat, Sheen Ghar, Koh-e-Sulaiman and other areas have been affected by incidents of arson. The continuous occurrence of such incidents is a serious matter, requiring transparent and impartial investigations. The government and relevant institutions should determine the causes of the fire, trace the elements responsible for it, and devise an effective system to prevent such incidents in the future.
The party said that natural forests are a national and public asset, and the responsibility for their protection is not limited to the Forest Department alone but is the joint responsibility of the provincial government, district administration and all relevant institutions. The government should immediately establish an effective system to monitor relief operations in the affected area and utilize all available resources until the fire is completely extinguished.
The statement demanded that immediate emergency measures be taken to bring the fire that has been burning for the past four days in the juniper forests of Felah under control, immediate arrangements be made to extinguish the fire with the help of helicopters, a complete assessment of the affected area be carried out, damages be estimated, and transparent investigations be conducted to determine the causes of the arson. At the same time, an effective system of fire watch towers, trained staff, modern equipment and emergency response should be established on a permanent basis for the protection of the rare forests of Ziarat and other areas.
The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party warned that in the event of further damage to the precious juniper forests due to negligence, lack of attention and absence of effective protective measures, the responsibility will fall on the relevant authorities. The government should immediately take practical measures to protect Ziarat’s natural heritage from further destruction and utilize all possible resources to prevent a wider area from being engulfed by the fire.
