MUZAFFARABAD: Minister for Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Waqar Ahmed Noor, chaired a high-level meeting of the Forest Department at its central office and directed officials to strengthen the department on modern and professional lines. Conservator Forests Central Office Owais Javed briefed the minister on departmental affairs and ongoing activities. The minister directed that all employees, particularly field staff, be provided with modern professional training and refresher courses to enhance their technical skills and efficiency. Waqar Ahmed Noor said the Forest Department was a highly important and technical institution whose performance could be improved through professional capacity-building. He directed that officials and field staff be trained in modern scientific techniques of reforestation, plantation and forest development. He further ordered that employees be fully acquainted with the Forest Act, wildlife protection laws and legal procedures for dealing with encroachments so that they could perform their duties in accordance with the law. The minister also directed that field officers and staff be trained in modern mapping, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and equipment used for forest protection. He said the protection of natural resources and forests in Azad Kashmir was the government’s top priority. He said professionally equipped staff would help the department effectively control illegal tree cutting, forest fires and other emergencies while also contributing to a rapid increase in the state’s green cover. The minister instructed officers to focus their capabilities and resources on forest protection, conservation and plantation campaigns, while other administrative matters should remain secondary. He emphasized that negligence or dereliction of duty would not be tolerated and directed employees to perform their responsibilities with honesty, integrity and dedication. He also announced that the department’s entire record would be computerized and digitized at the earliest. He said the move would improve administrative efficiency, record management and transparency in the inspection and maintenance of departmental records. The meeting was attended by Principal Chief Conservator Forests Dr Sardar Iftikhar Ahmed, Regional Chief Conservator Malik Asad Mahmood, Chief Conservator Forests Development Raja Zahid Hussain, Project Director Dr Zakir Hussain, Conservator Forests Mir Naseer Ahmed, Chief Planning Officer Forests Syed Atiqur Rehman Shirazi, Conservators Irtaza Qureshi and Arshad Khan, along with other senior officials and officers of the department.
