The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination reviewed provincial responses to deforestation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, pressing for stronger monitoring, satellite verification and tighter enforcement against timber mafias and illegal construction. Officials reported mixed progress—some gains in forest cover and large seizures of illegal timber—but committee members raised doubts about enforcement gaps, the absence of a fire protection system, and ongoing timber smuggling. The committee urged use of satellite imagery and the establishment of a national forest GIS to improve oversight.
Chaired by Ms. Munaza Hassan, the committee examined the implementation of prior recommendations related to timber mafias and forest protection. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary for Environment told the committee that third-party assessments show improved forest cover in the province and described active monitoring of legal harvesting. He reported seizures totaling 2.3 million cubic feet of timber and more than 360 confiscations of vehicles and related equipment. Members, however, questioned the accuracy of the picture presented, pointing to persistent timber mafias and the continued lack of a dedicated fire protection system. The chair welcomed the fact that a formal plan is now in place to address environmental challenges.
Officials from Gilgit-Baltistan said forest area is largely stable today but suffered significant degradation in the 1980s amid sectarian conflict and law-and-order breakdown. They called for stronger constitutional protections for forests and requested federal technical assistance, particularly for digital monitoring. The Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change assured the committee that a national GIS system for forests will be established soon. The committee also expressed concern over reports of hotel construction at Attabad Lake that violated regulations; GB authorities said existing noncompliant hotels are being closed and new construction has been banned.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department reported a ban on commercial logging and cited IUCN studies showing a roughly 10 percent increase in forest cover. Committee members nonetheless warned that timber smuggling—especially of Deodar and fir—is widespread and continues to strip mountain areas of trees. After deliberation, the committee recommended that SUPARCO provide satellite imagery to independently verify provincial claims about reforestation and to strengthen ongoing monitoring efforts.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Shaista Khan, Syeda Shehla Raza, Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Rana Ansar, Ayesha Nazir (joining virtually), and Shahida Rahmani, along with senior officials from the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
