7 Booked for Assaulting Forest Officials in Kangan

G’bal: Seven residents of Mamer Kangan in Ganderbal district have been booked for allegedly attacking forest officials during an afforestation drive in the Sindh Range.
According to officials, the incident occurred in Compartment 69, where a plantation drive was underway on eight hectares of land under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) project. The initiative was sanctioned in 2022 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change as compensation for forest land diverted for the Thune to Badipathri road. Forest officials stated that the afforestation work, which commenced in early February, was disrupted when the accused allegedly instigated villagers to attack the staff using stones and sticks. The police have registered an FIR against them under Sections 115(2) and 132 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, which pertain to inciting harm and assaulting government employees on duty. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sindh Forest Division, Iqbal Ahmad, highlighted the importance of the project in maintaining ecological balance and urged residents to engage in constructive discussions rather than resorting to violence