LAHORE:The Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) will give special protected status to large, old, and ecologically significant trees across the province to stop them from being cut down, Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad said.
The announcement by Mansoor Ahmad came at a meeting held to discuss Public Parks, Greenbelts and Green Areas Protection & Regulated Emergency Transplantation Regulations, 2026 adopted under the Punjab Horticulture Authority Act, 2025.
Under the new framework, any tree with a trunk wider than 36 inches, or aged 30 years or more, will be declared a Heritage Tree and cannot be cut or disturbed without approval. Such trees may only be removed if there is a compelling reason — such as a safety risk or serious disease — and only after a Technical Committee gives its go-ahead.
