KABUL - Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah Sunday said no one would be allowed to exploit forests for timber in eastern Kunar province.
His remarks follow reports that claimed forests were being cut for timber allegedly by families who recently returned from Pakistan,
The return of families, who fled the civil war decades ago, has somehow created problems for local residents, a group of young civil society activists eastern provinces said during a meeting with Abdullah, a statement from the CEO’s office said.
The activists shared problems in eastern provinces with Abdullah and demanded their solution.
They urged the CEO to stop forest cutting in Kunar and prevent timber smuggling as well as take action against land mafia and reclaim land they had usurped.
They criticized the lack of master plan for Nangarhar province and called for permanent solution to the electricity problem in the province till summer.
The activists, who represented eastern provinces, said complained about poor quality education in the east and said universities and schools had problems with regard to quality education.
They urged drastic changes in Nangarhar’s security sector and stressed doing away with Daesh or Islamic State and other militant groups there.
They said there was only one civil hospital in the east and that was insufficient. They also talked about the second lane of the Kabul-Jalalabad and Jalalabad-Torkham highway
On Saturday, Nangarhar-based residents of Kunar province and some civil society activists protested against deforestation.
Kunar is home to forests amid reports about their arbitrary cutting.
The constitution holds the government responsible for preserving forests and public property under Article 15. (Pajhwok)