Wind-driven wildfire in N-Balochistan reduces pine, olive trees to ashes
ZHOB ( By Rafiullah Mandokhel): A wind-driven wildfire has swept through the remote Shin Ghar region of northern Balochistan, reducing hundreds of pine nut and olive trees to ashes and threatening the livelihoods of local communities who depend on these forests for survival.
Now in its third day, the blaze continues to rage across the hilly Mraghbal Tora Morgah Sapar area, with its cause still unknown. Local villagers equipped with little more than sticks and tree branches are struggling to contain the flames in the absence of professional firefighting support.
“This forest is our lifeline. The chilgoza harvest sustains hundreds of families and is worth millions in local markets. Without support, we’re helpless,” says Eid Muhammad Umarzai, a young resident battling the blaze between Sherani and Hariphal tribal lands.
This marks the second major forest fire in recent years, following the 2022 inferno in the Koh-e-Sulaiman range, which destroyed nearly a million pine trees, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates.
Local political and tribal leaders have issued a joint appeal, warning of irreversible ecological loss and condemning decades of state neglect.
“For over 70 years, no legislation has been passed to protect our forests,” laments Aimal Sarwan, an activist of the Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party, criticizing official inaction as the flames continue to spread.
On the other hand, the government officials claim firefighting efforts were underway, and the fire has been brought under control to some extent.
Meanwhile, Dr Muhammad Nawaz Kibzai, the area’s elected representative in the Provincial Assembly, affirmed that he remained in close coordination with the relevant authorities in an effort to contain the wildfire and mitigate further destruction.
In a powerful display of grassroots solidarity, young volunteers from the Ashar Movement – a local organization committed to the conservation of forests and wildlife in Northern Balochistan also joined hands with local residents, bravely assisting in firefighting efforts on the ground.
Urgent appeals have been made to the Chief Minister Balochistan, Governor, and both provincial and national disaster agencies to intervene before the region’s last green canopy vanishes. Without immediate action, locals fear not just environmental devastation but the collapse of an entire way of life.
