This massive tree slaughter picture is of Guli Bagh in Swat, the main focus of re-forestation efforts by the previous PTI Government as part of the billion tree tsunami vision of their jailed leader Honourable Imran Khan, to whom tourism and environment remained closet to his heart.
Sadly, the internal engineered defection of the PTI Swat-based Chief Minister Mehmood Khan caused him to lose favor with the PTI leadership for his disloyalty, the price he dearly paid by losing the elections despite state patronage. This unexpected political scenario unfortunately shifted the PTI development focus to the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province under its selection of Honourable Amin Khan Gandapu, as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa .
Today I hear Mehmood Khan calling wolves on local Swat media, criticising the PTI leadership for stealing the development funds allocated for his home town of Swat, yet he should show some grace in keeping his mouth shut as his defection greatly shamed the people of Swat who already denied him their trust in his leadership. He was never alone dreaming himself to be the real Imran Khan and the driving force behind PTI success in KP and so his former ex MPA and the Present Minister Of Forest from Swat, visualising himself to be the Wali of Swat . Mahmoud Khan is advised bed rest at home and just dream the old good days when he would ride choppers, today if he catches a bus back to Peshawar will be his lucky day.
The only bad choice left in the PTI camp from Swat after Mehmood Khan debacle was a professional butcher turned politician , now elevated to the status of a Provincial Minister for Forests, the very Honourable Fazal Hakim Khan, money now being left as the only criteria for honour in our unfortunate society . Unfortunately, the Minister does not enjoy a good reputation for his quick rise from rags to riches among the locals, especially after he reportedly ventured to buy a portion of the Wali Of Swat’s palace from his second wife, earning him the sarcastic title of “Miangul” among his detractors, a title enjoyed by the family of the former ruler of Swat.
Ironically, under the new forest minister, the deforestation momentum set by the interim government to make a quick buck continues unabated and uninterrupted. The blame for such tree slaughter falls solely on the shoulders of the PTI Government, whose uninformed and flawed policy in choosing their cabinet is evident. I wonder whether the people of Swat, who have always stood steadfast behind the PTI’s massive vote bank, will ever reconcile with such a blunder or consider it part of the PTI policy to encourage the corrupt among its ranks who master the art of quick money-making while they continue to preach transparency and accountability to the nation.
I doubt the PTI can afford to lose its credibility in the eyes of common Pakistanis and their diehard voters from Swat by not revisiting the performance of their Ministers who are entrusted with such a sensitive Ministry that is directly linked to Climate Change and Environmental destruction.
One can only wish that the PTI provincial cabinet would help save the few trees that the poor nation planted with their blood and sweat, thinking their own government and leaders would drive the parasitic flies away from them, just as the Honourable Minister himself is seen in the picture driving the flies away from the chunk of rumen , a delicacy of the poor at his meat shop in Mingora City . Little did he then realised , one day destiny will take him to the uncharted waters of politics under the stewardship of PTI, which had only a billion-tree plantation to its credit but is now incapable of preventing its slaughter by their own appointed butcher. Long Live Pakistan under the sharp knife of the political butchers.
