Corrupt Officials Busted in $6M Illegal Logging Scandal in Pakistan

In a major crackdown, authorities in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have uncovered a massive illegal logging operation worth nearly 1.7 billion Pakistani rupees (around $6 million). The investigation revealed a large-scale theft of government timber, allegedly aided by dozens of corrupt forestry officials.

According to the Forestry Planning and Monitoring Circle in Peshawar, over 2.3 million cubic feet of illegally felled wood has been seized from several forested regions in KP. Out of 370 cases reviewed, more than 30% showed major discrepancies, while 140 forestry officers and staff were implicated in facilitating or ignoring the illegal logging activities.

The uncovered corruption has had severe environmental consequences. Deforestation in Pakistan is accelerating soil erosion, water shortages, and landslides, particularly in regions that rely on forest cover to stabilize steep terrain. Environmental experts warn that each illegal tree cut weakens the country's natural defenses against flooding and other extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Authorities have promised new oversight measures to prevent similar abuses in the future, though activists say the success of that plan depends on "strict accountability." The government has also initiated restoration efforts, including mangrove conservation initiatives and the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami program, which have led to the planting of billions of saplings nationwide.