Rapid disappearance of Pakistan's forests
Imtiaz Gul
August 30, 2025
The writer heads the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad
Pakistan's green spaces — particularly its forests and mountainous regions — are in a desperate struggle for survival. They face a double threat: an increasingly volatile climate and a ruthless timber mafia. Both forces, one natural and the other man-made, are devastating precious tree cover. While nature's fury may be beyond human control, the human predators are not — yet those tasked with reining them in often act as their protectors.
No surprise, then, that a well-entrenched nexus of vested interests — corrupt officials, their political patrons and greedy timber traders — has placed the fast-depleting forests of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at the heart of what may be the biggest timber scandal in Pakistan's history. For decades, this unholy alliance exploited legal loopholes and weak governance to strip the region of its forests — until a principled bureaucrat rose to challenge them.
Upon assuming the role of Secretary Forests in April 2024, Shahid Zaman uncovered widespread destruction — some of it facilitated by officials in the caretaker government under the guise of "collective benefit". What he found was not just a series of illegal permits, but a well-orchestrated system of environmental plunder.
Zaman unearthed dozens of unlawful transport permits and dubious allotments that allowed timber movement from northern areas and sanctioned the development of commercial and residential structures on protected forest land — all under the pretext of promoting tourism. These encroachments, disguised as development, effectively sabotaged monitoring systems and enabled illegal tree harvesting.
But this isn't merely about lost trees or shady contracts; it's about environmental survival. Zaman's findings offer a rare look into the scale of ecological crime in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the financial cost runs into trillions of rupees, but the true toll — on water resources, biodiversity and future generations — is incalculable.
To his credit, Zaman has so far prevented large swathes of forest land from being lost and exposed just how deep the rot runs within the system. Below are five of the most alarming scandals that have brought the timber mafia's network into public view for the first time:
1) Arandu Gol, Chitral: Former forest secretary Nazar Shah had pushed a cabinet summary approving the transport of 1.4 million CFT of timber (worth Rs8 billion approximately) under a seemingly legal but fundamentally unlawful arrangement. Shahid Zaman immediately recalled and redirected the summary, causing panic among timber profiteers.
2) Makhnial Guzara Forest: Zaman cancelled four illegal permits issued by two forest conservators — one of whom also served as Chief Conservator Hazara — which opened up 18,000 acres of Guzara Forests for mining and real estate development. This forest is part of the Khanpur Dam watershed and vital for regional water recharge.
Both cases are now with the Anti-Corruption Department. The K-P Chief Minister has since ordered a master plan for the area, with a directive to prioritise maximum tree cover.
3) Ayubia Chairlift Project: A contract was awarded for a new chairlift, a Dyno-Valley-style facility and a hotel on 120 kanals of land — half of which lies within Ayubia National Park and Reserve Forest. The company behind the project, A-Cube, enjoys high-level political and bureaucratic backing, including ties to a powerful federal secretary.
4) Dyno-Valley, Makhnial: Built illegally inside Guzara Forest, Dyno-Valley is owned by the same family that previously operated the controversial Monal Restaurant in Islamabad's Margalla Hills National Park.
Though the forest department won an anti-encroachment case against Dyno-Valley, the matter is now under appeal at the Peshawar High Court's Abbottabad Bench. Shockingly, the department had delayed filing the government's response for nearly a year — a delay only rectified by Zaman upon assuming office.
5) Suspension of the Tree Marking & Harvest Monitoring System: For years, this system ensured transparency in tree harvesting. But it was quietly suspended — effectively giving the timber mafia a free hand across protected areas and national parks.
An audit revealed that only about 45 per cent of tree felling was legal and accounted for. Around 25 per cent had procedural errors, while a staggering 30 per cent was outright illegal. Regions most affected include Kohistan, Allai, Battagram, Galiyat and Hazara, where trees were cut well outside approved zones — and much of it went unreported.
All this points to a staggering, orchestrated environmental crime — a battle not just for forests, but for the soul of governance in Pakistan.
After sustained resistance and whistleblowing, Shahid Zaman was eventually targeted by the same powerful nexus he exposed. In July 2025, the Establishment Division ordered his transfer out of K-P. But the provincial government has, so far, resisted the move — arguing that his services remain crucial.
At its heart, this is a struggle between the guardians of Pakistan's natural heritage and the vultures circling above it — a tug of war between Islamabad and Peshawar, between public duty and private greed.
.................. Unfortunately even timber mafia 
