PHC issues arrest warrants against PDA chief, four TMOs

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for director general, Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and town municipal officers (TMOs) of four towns of the provincial metropolis for not complying with the court orders about cutting of trees and damage to green belts in the city.

A special bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Dost Muhammad and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth issued bailable arrest warrants for the officials for not appearing in the court and ordered the concerned departments not to pay them salaries till the court’s next order as they failed to comply with court’s directive to bring the complete record of the environmental issue.

The bench directed PDA DG Qazi Laiq to produce record as to how many trees have been cut in the provincial metropolis and explain whether he had obtained approval from DG Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In case of failure to do so, it asked as to why no action should be initiated against him. The bench also directed the managing director, Forests Development Corporation to appear at the next hearing on December 13 along with all relevant record about allocation and utilization of budget for the forests.

In its order, the court said it was not satisfied with the statement of Chief Conservator Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gul Muhammad Khan about additional plantation of trees and protection to forests from illegal cutting across the province.

The bench said it would check the forests’ positions through formation of local commissions and NAB would also be directed to cooperate with it to present the actual position of forests and cutting of illegal trees.

The bench also issued warning to all concerned officials that if even a single tree was cut unlawfully they would face the consequences as the court would take drastic action against them.

The PHC chief justice said he had come to know that trucks with timber escorted by armed men were illegally shifting wood from Malakand division to Punjab. However, the chief conservator showed ignorance about it.

The chief justice warned to send him to prison if the court found solid proof against this illegal business of timber smuggling from Swat, Dir, Chitral and other districts through its inquiry commission. DG EPA Dr Muhammad Bashir Khan said he had registered cases against the officers of four towns of the city and Cantonment Board Peshawar for illegal cutting of trees and damage to green belts and green patches in the city.

The court took notice of the matter on the basis of two applications sent by some citizens.

One application, sent to the court’s human rights cell, alleged that scores of trees had been ruthlessly cut down in the four towns of the provincial capital and green belts and green patches were also badly affected by different quarters.

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