Chitral: 5 donkeys were presented in court by Assistant Commissioner Chitral. The donkeys were suspected of being involved in timber smuggling in the Darwish area of Chitral.
Since it cannot get any wiser than calling a donkey to court, the Assistant Commissioner had summoned 5 donkeys as assets in the timber smuggling case. The donkeys were forced to smuggle the timber into the area and had no will of their own in this regard. The court found the donkeys’ statements quite satisfactory. The recovered timber and the donkeys were hence handed over to the forest department officials.
Assistant Commissioner Chitral ensured that the donkeys were safe and were in the custody of the concerned authorities. Moreover, donkeys are not used in smuggling anymore. The trauma of being used for illegal purposes remains, but time will heal that too.
However, the people who used the donkeys for smuggling have fled away.