Sir: Forests are a valuable resource that contribute significantly to the economy and provide environmental stability and regional climate stability. They regulate rainfall patterns and reduce sedimentation loads in rivers. However, deforestation is a global concern regarding natural and manmade disasters like land erosion, drought, flooding, with knock-on effects on agriculture, urbanisation and global warming. The World Wildlife Fund in a report warned that if the current deforestation rate in Pakistan of 2.1 percent per annum and the trend of land conversion from forest to other uses is not checked, the country will not be able to meet its international commitments under the Millennium Development Goals to increase its forest cover from 2.5 percent to six percent by 2015. The report further highlighted that more than 61,000 hectares (approximately over 151,500 acres) of forest land have been converted to non-forest use in the country since its inception. IMRAN KHOSO Dadu