KEY POINTS
- Arandu Gol lies at a strategic, sensitive Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
- Militants and illegal loggers exploited forests from 2004 to 2015.
- The 2016 timber policy aimed to share proceeds between locals and government.
- Policy revoked in 2021, triggering forced timber removal orders.
- Over 1.4 million cubic feet of timber abandoned, risking wildfires.
- Inquiry found timber stock discrepancies and confirmed cross-border smuggling.
- Timber traders bought rights cheaply from local royalty-holders.
CHITRAL, Pakistan: High in Chitral’s mountain valleys, where the chill wind of the Arandu Gol blows through deodar forests as old as time, 53-year-old Siraj Ahmed is a custodian of his family land — a man who stood his ground for generations.
In the remote village of Arandu Gol, deep in the mountains, Siraj’s family has lived in silence with the elements for generations.
Their lives cannot be separated from the forest that surrounds them — a relationship rooted in the soil, a living source of wood, grass, and heritage.
Goats and sheep graze underneath canopies of giant trees here, and the wood warms houses through long winters. But now, as state officials covet the natural resources, Siraj draws the line.
“These forests are our land, and the wood is our property,” he says calmly, his voice steady with resolve. “The government cannot take it without compensating us.”
At a strategic crossroads
Arandu Gol, Lower Chitral — tucked 360 kilometres from Peshawar, the remote region of Arandu Gol today stands as a symbol of administrative confusion, natural resource mismanagement, and policy paralysis.
Nestled between steep deodar ridges and Afghanistan’s Kunar River, Arandu Gol lies at a crucial strategic junction, where Pakistan’s northwestern forests fade into Afghan terrain.
Arandu Gol was once a passage for militants and timber smugglers. Now, it is caught in red tape, public resentment, and deep uncertainty over forest policy and environmental oversight.
Militancy and logging boom
The area is severely underdeveloped, with dense forests, limited infrastructure, and a history of exploitation. From 2004 to 2015, it became a haven for militants and illegal loggers who operated without fear of consequences.
Local residents, like Siraj Ahmed, say the forests are considered community property, and they refuse to allow any timber to leave unless they are paid fair royalties.
Arandu Gol spans 10,665 acres and consists of 32 forest compartments, according to the official data available with WE News English.
Forced timber removal from 19 border villages—where tribal residents have ties across the Afghan border—could lead to unrest. – District Police Officer.
Prior to 2004, tree cutting was minimal and for local use only. However, after 2004, widespread deforestation began, driven by militant networks and timber mafias who exploited the region’s insecurity.
According to the official report submitted by an inquiry committee to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department, the government deployed a Frontier Constabulary platoon in 2006, but with limited impact.
Logging only halted in 2015 following military deployment, which also restricted access to the area—though the felled timber remained scattered across the valley.
2016 timber policy
In response, the 2016 Timber Policy was introduced, aiming to catalogue and sell the pre-felled timber, allocate 60 per cent of proceeds to locals and 40 per cent to the government, and deduct transportation costs from the local share.
A survey recorded 7,332 felled trees, 15,426 logs, and 68,753 scants (processed wood), totalling 1,466,547 cubic feet (CFT) of timber.
Environmental experts warn that abandoned logs increase the risk of wildfires, insect infestations, and soil erosion — all of which threaten both forest regeneration and downstream communities that rely on seasonal runoff.
The policy was approved on May 20, 2016, with administrative formalities completed by June 3 the same year.
Timber evacuation was to be completed by August 31, 2016—later extended to January 2017—and transferred to Upper and Lower Dir depots.
Policy delays and disputes
Despite early momentum, policy disagreements reared their ugly head.
On June 21, 2018, the Deputy Commissioner of Chitral recommended cancelling or reviewing the policy, suggesting the proceeds be used for collective development rather than individual compensation.
However, following community pressure, the original 60-40 revenue-sharing commitment was reaffirmed by August 17, 2018.
Once locals woke to the fact of the timber’s true value and how cheaply they had sold their rights, they began demanding higher payments. – A royalty-holder
A dramatic reversal came on February 4, 2021, when the Commissioner of Malakand Division recommended full revocation of the 2016 policy, which was endorsed by the provincial forest department.
The 58th Provincial Cabinet Meeting on August 13, 2021, endorsed this revocation, ordered forcible timber evacuation, and requested Rs. 525 million transportation funds, with the entire process to be completed within three years.
Soon, serious complications emerged.
At a September 24, 2021, meeting, the District Police Officer warned that forced timber removal from 19 border villages—where tribal residents have ties across the Afghan border—could lead to unrest.
Forest officials agreed and emphasised that the cancellation of the 2016 policy was based solely on administrative grounds. They called for a new policy that could better reflect ground realities.
Push for policy revival
On March 8, 2023, the Deputy Commissioner of Lower Chitral formally requested the Malakand Commissioner for reinstatement of the 2016 policy and proposed that transportation costs be initially funded by the government and later deducted from locals’ shares.
On May 26, 2023, the Chief Conservator of Forests submitted a request to revoke the 2021 decision.
Many lodged complaints with the department concerned regarding the timber issue, prompting the department to form an inquiry committee on May 30, 2024, to reassess the timber stock.
Environmental experts warn that abandoned logs increase the risk of wildfires, insect infestations, and soil erosion.
The committee recorded 7,343 felled trees (876,735 CFT), 13,981 logs (323,606 CFT), and 68,155 scants (251,244 CFT), totalling 1,451,585 CFT across 89,479 pieces. This revealed a discrepancy of 2,032 logs and 14,962 CFT when compared to the 2016 data.
The committee also confirmed that an unspecified quantity of timber had already been smuggled across the Afghan border.
Therefore, the committee recommended:
- Immediate evacuation of the timber to reduce the risks of fire and flooding.
- Direct compensation to genuine royalty holders.
- Local hiring of forest guards.
- Investment in community development.
- Introduction of revocable royalty protection bonds, tied to legal forest practices.
However, the Secretary of Forests rejected these suggestions and recommended that the timber be fully confiscated by the government.
Despite this, the provincial government, concerned about potential unrest in the sensitive border region, appears inclined to settle the matter under the original 2016 formula to avoid confrontation and ensure fair compensation according to inside sources.
Disputed timber rights
Meanwhile, tensions continue to bubble under the surface. According to sources, the royalty rightfully belongs to local residents.
However, timber traders purchased rights from them at very low rates. A proposal to compensate the actual royalty holders — excluding traders — was considered but ultimately ignored.
What began as an attempt to manage post-militancy forest resources has now gone off the rails, landing in bureaucratic limbo.
One royalty-holder, speaking anonymously, states that once locals woke to the fact of the timber’s true value and how cheaply they had sold their rights, they began demanding higher payments.
The value of the lying timber is estimated at around 8 billion rupees — notably, this includes Deodar, a highly prized and durable wood.
Bureaucracy and forest loss
What began as an attempt to manage post-militancy forest resources has now gone off the rails, landing in bureaucratic limbo. The forests of Arandu Gol, once at the mercy of insurgents and smugglers, now face a new threat: the rug pulled out from under them by administrative collapse.
Unless resolved with fairness, structure, and local participation, the entire effort may go up in smoke. Arandu Gol’s forests risk being lost again—not to chainsaws or conflict, but to policy failure and neglect. Who, then, will bear responsibility for a forest lost twice over?
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forests, Environment, and Wildlife Secretary Shahid Zaman confirmed that large-scale illegal logging has taken place in the Arandu Gol area, throwing the provincial administration into disarray.
He noted that a forest policy was introduced in 2016 and later amended in 2021. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an investigation into the matter, and all relevant documentation has been shared with the agency.
Zaman reveals that over 1.4 million cubic feet (CFT) of timber—valued at approximately 8 billion rupees—has been felled, with timber traders purchasing it from local residents.
He raises concerns about the legality of compensating individuals for wood that was harvested unlawfully. A summary has been forwarded to the Chief Minister for review, and a final decision is expected following governmental deliberation.
