PHC imposes ban, seeks reports on illegal glacier cutting

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday banned the cutting of glaciers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and sought reports from the respective deputy commissioners.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Wiqar Ahmad placed the ban during the hearing of a writ petition against illegal glacier cutting in the province.

Advocate Sajid Afridi appeared on behalf of the petitioner Tariq Afghan, while Additional Advocate General Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah represented the provincial government.

The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that illegal glacier cutting was going on in KP and snow from glaciers was being transported for sale in local markets.

Justice Wiqar Ahmad remarked, “This used to happen in old times.” In response, Tariq Afghan advocate clarified that the practice was still going on, especially during the summer months when the ice is commercially sold. Additional Advocate General Sikandar Hayat claimed that the Department of Environment had submitted a report stating that “it is impossible to extract snow from glaciers as they are located at extremely high altitudes.”

However, Advocate Sajid Afridi countered, explaining that cutting was done from beneath the glaciers, and when temperatures rise, it accelerates glacial melting. He claimed that around 200 trucks of glacier ice were transported daily for commercial purposes.

Tariq Afghan pleaded that he belonged to the affected region and had observed that when glaciers melt, it led to flooding. He cited last year’s floods in Chitral as a direct consequence of such activity. He added that during the summers, ice from the mountains was transported all the way to Mardan.

Justice Ijaz Anwar remarked that the government seemed indifferent, adding that agricultural land was vanishing, replaced by housing societies. The bench observed that the Forestry Department should monitor glaciers, as it regulated tree cutting. Measures should be taken to preserve these natural resources, and the presence of snow on routes enhances tourism.

The petitioner’s lawyer warned that illegal glacier cutting poses serious environmental threats and is a violation of the Environmental Protection Acts of 1997 and 2014. He cited Argentina and Tajikistan as countries that had enacted legislation to protect glaciers and urged Pakistan to follow suit.

He demanded immediate action to halt illegal glacier cutting and to prosecute those responsible.

The court subsequently ordered the provincial government and relevant deputy commissioners to enforce the ban and submit detailed reports on the matter.