PESHAWAR: An online petition has been launched for mustering public support in favor of a thorough probe by an independent commission into recent incidents of fires in different forests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Titled as “Eco-Terrorism (forest fire) in KP Pakistan should be investigated by Independent Commission, ” the collective petition has been launched by a group of nine organizations.
These organizations included Sarhad Conservation Network (SCN), Peshawar Clean Air Alliance, Institute of Architects of Pakistan, Karwan Tehreek, Hayatabad Citizens Forum, Clean and Green Peshawar, Usmania Welfare Trust and Peshawar Youth Organization.
The petition was launched on Sunday (June 19) and signed by around 225 citizens so far.
“The sudden and simultaneous fires ironically ignited in the previous month and on the World Environment Day particularly, the UN theme for 2022 being “Only One Planet” is a stark wake up call & symbolic of eco-terrorism, ” reads the content of the petition.
“Pakistan forest reserves are already under stress owing to demographic explosion and climate change. Already ranked as the top high risk nation in the region, the loss of huge forest tracts and fragile ecosystems is an example of existential threat to Pakistan’s future, ” it added.
“The unseen sinister and criminal hands causing “environmental terrorism” must be exposed, apprehended, punished and made examples for posterity and ensuring the rule of law, ” the petition stressed.
“The numbers of fires simultaneously, in different regions are not incidental, nor the deaths of neither innocent souls nor injuries to the brave fire fighters and forest officers is a routine affair to be forgiven, ” comments Mansoor Ahmad of Institute of Architects of Pakistan.
In the petition, a request is made to Peshawar High Court to kindly take a suo moto action and make accountable the KP government for failing to pre-empt this historic fire and total lack of preparedness to take timely measures.
The petition urged the concerned citizens of KP and Pakistan to sign this petition be filed with the department, government of KP and Peshawar High Court (PHC) to seek a professional investigation by an independent commission comprising panel of experts from Pakistan and international agencies facilitated by KP government, to determine responsibility and recommend future courses of action and preventive measures with clear guidelines for the forest staff, local authorities, and communities.