The forest department of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province has asked the regional government for Rs60m to buy weapons for forest guards.
The department wants light arms and other equipment to help the 3,000 guards protect themselves and forest resources against members of the timber mafia.
Its proposal asks the provincial government to either equip the guards with arms or provide funding for the department to purchase weapons.
Guards do not currently carry weapons and have to protect an area totalling 781,687ha.
However, some civil society groups are opposing the move, calling it “barbaric” and against the basic principles envisaged in the forest policy.
