PPP Senator Sherry Rehman Calls For Swift, Bold Steps To Combat 'Timber Mafia, Growing Flood Risks'

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Aug, 2025) Senator Sherry Rehman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Monday alarmed the nation by stressing the urgent need for large-scale tree planting and a strict crackdown on the timber mafia to protect the environment and reduce escalating disaster risks.

In an exclusive interview with a local news channel, Senator Sherry Rehman highlighted the alarming activities of the timber mafia in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where large-scale tree felling and mountain cutting are severely damaging the environment.

She also raised concerns about illegal riverbed mining, which is exacerbating the region’s ecological imbalance and increasing vulnerability to floods.

Rehman stressed the urgent need for extensive tree plantation campaigns to restore the natural landscape and prevent further degradation.

She emphasized that protecting these vital resources is essential to safeguarding communities and strengthening the country’s resilience against future natural disasters.

Senator Rehman also stressed the need for sustainable alternatives to plastic, calling for stronger policies to reduce plastic pollution nationwide.

She emphasized the importance of comprehensive environmental planning and responsible urban development to safeguard vulnerable areas from climate-related disasters.

Furthermore, she underlined the necessity of investing in early warning systems and establishing robust de-watering mechanisms to effectively tackle flooding.

She also urged the governments to ensure that no international grants for climate resilience go unused, advocating for the active pursuit of funding from foreign countries to strengthen Pakistan’s disaster management infrastructure.

Addressing the query, she lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Bilawal Bhutto for their leadership in obtaining funds to tackle climate challenges.

She reaffirmed her role in raising early warnings, pointing out that the urgent need for investment has been clear to her since the start.

Highlighting her written work against the timber mafia, she stressed the importance of finding substitutes for plastic bottles and bags as well.

She urged journalists and media outlets to intensify their reporting on timber mafia activities to increase public scrutiny and accountability.

Answering the question, she warned that the flood death toll in northern regions is distressingly high and stressed that the lack of proper planning has significantly contributed to the crisis.