Timber Worth Rs. 3.8 Billion Left to Decay in KP for Nearly 2 Decades

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has failed to dispose of around 550,000 cubic feet of legally harvested timber from dry and wind-fallen trees worth approximately Rs. 3.8 billion over the past 16 years.

Around 4.5 million cubic feet of timber from wind-fallen trees was harvested in Upper and Lower Kohistan between 2008 and 2010 under the Dry Wind Fall Policy of 2003.

In Upper Kohistan, 3.15 million cubic feet of timber was harvested. Of this, 2.78 million cubic feet was sold in 2010, while the remaining 350,000 cubic feet could not be sold after the policy’s approved timeframe expired.

Similarly, 1.34 million cubic feet of timber was harvested in Lower Kohistan. Around 1.1 million cubic feet was sold, while the remaining 204,000 cubic feet is still awaiting disposal.

The unsold timber has remained dumped along the Karakoram Highway, other roads in both districts, rainwater channels, and inside forests. Years of exposure to weather have caused the valuable timber to deteriorate and lose value.

Local residents said that neither the local communities nor Forest Department officials were able to dispose of the timber without formal approval from the provincial government.

Under the existing revenue-sharing formula, local forest owners are entitled to 80% of the proceeds from timber sales, while the government retains 20% for forest management activities. However, due to prolonged delays in approval, local communities have borne the brunt of financial losses.

Officials said the government has been reluctant to approve the sale because images of timber-loaded trucks on social media often trigger allegations of illegal logging and timber smuggling.

The Forest and Wildlife Department has now submitted a summary seeking provincial cabinet approval for the sale of the remaining timber.