.. by Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig

The word has created a disgusting gloom over our society as we go through the pages of the books, magazines, journals and the media. We have seen horrible disasters in our region which went on for years and left frightful images on our mind. There were so many accidents that cannot be put aside but life goes on and man is a hardened animal and endures such bad things with short lived emotions and then goes back to the old track, moves on and forgets many of them one by one from the screen of the memory. The wave of terrorism is not yet removed for ever but still scares so many of us who have experienced bitter moments of life. They are still in the dreams of many of us.

The Human terrorism was intended for many reasons- for money, for faith, for rewards, for ignorance etc. but there is still a wave of terror which has not been counted in the list of various shades of Terrorism. This a new name but has existed in its old form and counted as a pastime and recreation. These are the ‘ Environmental terrorists’  kill all kind of animal life and enjoys it and never for a moment think about its nature. It was so in the past and it is so even today. The killing of innocent wild life in unlimited number or at wider scale  could not be expected from a true human being. Killing of all kind of birds, all kind of quadrupeds, all kind of sea life that is still in progress. There is a department in each province but  it has done very little to curb this curse. The killing of wild life is as rampant as it was in the past when sources of food were short or unobtainable but now that there is no shortage of food the massacre is going on and the staff of the same field is standing as onlookers – doing nothing to stop it or to control it or to discourage it but they have forgotten their original duty for which they had been enlisted as wild life staff.

This  ‘ Environmental terrorism’ is booming with ultra modern rifles, baits, decoys and hooters to kill wild life on payment of shooting fee is not the remedy. The amount has to be more than 20000/- for a limited weeks and the staff of the said department has to be given oath not to let loose the hunters. Our mountain ecology is already very fragile and the POACHERS have wrought havoc to the ibex and markhor population of Chitral. It seems that they are in with the poachers. The wild life watchers, many of whom are not doing their duties but do side businesses- which is known to all the public of the area concerned- and thus neglect their real duty. They like to show their ‘ performance’ once a year by a raid on small gang but the stronger Mafias are supreme on the support of the watchers. After the poachers have killed over two hundred in certain valleys they catch one poacher and get a record of performance in the list of the department. The Environmental Terrorists have their rifles in the high altitude pastures like Roshgol, Ziwar etc.  and these rifles have to be searched thoroughly and the suspects have to be investigated each week, ‘CHHATROLLED’ to get info about their weapons, hence more powers have to be given to them to empower the watchers and this new form of Environmental Terrorism has to be controlled.   .. Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig, Chitral, 15 July 2022