A recent survey reveals that the timber mafia is involved in cutting old sheesham trees growing along canals in Pakistan. It has also stated a strange method is employed to fell the trees: either the trunks of the trees are peeled off or their roots are damaged. This leads to the trees' withering.

Fake permission chits from the officials concerned are then shown to chop the trees. Sources allege that the mafia has cut thousands of trees at Bakhshali, Taja, Katlang and other areas of the Mardan district and the forest department has done nothing to nab the culprits.