Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government faces criticism over large-scale deforestation

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is reportedly associated with large-scale deforestation in the province, which has been ongoing for the past two years.

Among the suspects is Minister Fazal Hakeem, who was removed from his position as Provincial Minister for Climate Change and Environment and reassigned to the portfolio of Livestock following condemnation on social media regarding the deforestation in the province.

The deforestation rate in Pakistan has been recorded at 25 percent, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being more affected than other provinces.

Swat, Shangla, and Mansehra are among the most affected regions.

Deforestation is also one of the major contributors to increased temperatures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reportedly leading to a 26 percent rise.

In 2015, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, launched the Billion Tree Tsunami project to counter land erosion and the degradation of mountainous terrain.