Mian Tahir
Saleem Advocate
Wherever you go in the world, you will find that the freshness of the air, the rhythm of the rains, the murmuring of rivers, and the chirping of birds are all deeply connected with forests. Environmental experts have long been warning that every country must have at least 20 to 25 percent of its land covered with forests. But the tragedy is that in Pakistan, this ratio has dropped to less than four percent. What is even more distressing is that the few forests that remain are falling prey to the greed of corrupt officials in the Forest Department.
Today, I want to share with you a tale of corruption from Tehsil Gojra, District Toba Tek Singh, which reveals why this country is moving towards decline instead of progress.
The former government launched the project called the “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” to turn barren fields into lush green landscapes. Billions of rupees were allocated to the Forest Department for this project. But the outcome was that greenery grew only in the bank accounts of the officers. For example, a bill of 925,000 rupees was passed for laborers, but they received only 300,000. Where did the rest go? Straight into the pockets of people like Range Officer Haji Muhammad Siddique and DFO Ansar Rasool. This game was repeated again and again: from a bill of 1.45 million rupees, only 600,000 were given to the laborers, while the rest was swallowed up. In total, more than 2.4 million rupees worth of bills were passed, but laborers received only 950,000. And when the laborers demanded the rest of their rightful wages, Haji Siddique shamelessly retorted:
“Am I supposed to pay this money to your father?”
From this one statement, it becomes clear that these officers treat the national treasury as if it were their ancestral property.
But the story of corruption doesn’t end there. For plantation in Khair Wala Beat, Nawan Lahore Block, fake bills worth 9.2 million rupees were created. Similarly, in the Gojra Range between 2019 and 2022, more than 25 million rupees worth of corruption was uncovered. Range Officer Imran Saeed, Block Officer Naveed Qamar, and their guard Shahid Mahmood looted the national exchequer in collusion with Faisalabad Forest Division officials, who sent fake “green” reports. When this was exposed during checking, a charge sheet was made merely as a formality. The end was the same old story: the real culprits escaped, while an innocent officer, Muhammad Akram alias Jigar, was made the scapegoat—his only “crime” being the courage to expose corruption.
The real question is: what kind of system is this, where instead of protecting forests, they are axed down? Where the sweat and blood of laborers is stolen so officers can fill their own coffers? Where the one who speaks the truth is the one punished? And the biggest question of all: how is it that these very officers still sit on the same chairs, making fake bills every day, cutting trees, and stealing laborers’ wages?
Shall we remain silent? Shall we leave our future generations to breathe in smoke instead of oxygen? If we do not raise our voices against these looters now, remember—once the remaining forests are gone, this homeland will turn into a barren graveyard.
Therefore, this is not just a request but a demand: the Government of Punjab and the Government of Pakistan must immediately suspend these corrupt officials and throw them behind bars. The time has come to free our forests from these looters. Otherwise, future generations will never forgive us.
