Altaf Hamid Rao;
MIRPUR (AJK): Mirpur Division’s Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb Choudhry Wednesday launched inquiry into the terrible jungle fire in Kotli district of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Divisional Commissioner Mirpur Chaudhry Muhammad Tayyab told this scribe here on Wednesday that besides the suspended officers of the AJK Forests Department, all concerned officials and witness have been summoned, through notices, to appear before the inquiry commission for getting recorded their respective statements, for onward submission of the inquiry report to the Prime Minister with in next 15 days stipulated time frame.
AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan had, on Tuesday, appointed the Divisional Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb – Grade-21 officer of District Management Group, to probe into the massive fire that broke out in thick forests at various places in Kotli district of Mirpur division, official sources told this Correspondent here on Wednesday.
Farooq Haider, while taking stringent notice of the fire blazing in the forests in Kotli district, had suspended eight officials of the AJK forests department for dereliction of duties through their blatant failure to control the sky rocketing fire in the forest. The Prime Minister has directed Inquiry Officer to investigate into the matter and submit his report within next fortnightly period.
The State Forests Department officers suspended from service included Conservator Mirpur Circle, Sye Prime d Gul Hussain Shah, Deputy Forest Officer Kotli Division Imran Sadiq, Range Officer Kotli Nakiyal, Raja Sajid Iqbal, DFO Mirpur Division Raja Jahanzaib Khizar, Range Officer Chirhoi Raja Sait Khan, Range Officer Naar Range Mehmood, Range Officer Dhadiyal Range Khalid Shehzad.
Meanwhile, official sources also confirmed about igniting of terrible also fire that broke out in the Forests of Samani valley in Bhimbher district and Sehensa in Kotli district since past many days
This Correspondent understands that the AJK Forest Department Authorities hoodwinked the AJK Prime Minister of the reported jungle fire in Samani valley and Sehnsa town of Bhimbher and Kotli district respectively to save the skin of the concerned Forest Department Officers incharge of these areas from the probe. More details are awaited to this direction.