PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday rejected the report on demarcation of forest boundaries and summoned the secretary for Forests and Environment and the Director General of the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) on June 10.
The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Babar Sattar.Counsel for the petitioner, Babar Khan Yousafzai, Additional Advocate General Muhammad Shehzad Nawaz, Conservator of Forests Taimur Ilyas, Barrister Owais Babar on behalf of the Galiyat Development Authority, and Advocate Abdul Rahim Jadoon appeared before the court.
According to the written order issued by the court, the PHC had passed a clear directive on November 25, 2025, instructing the Secretary of the Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to constitute a high-powered committee under his chairmanship.
The committee was to include representatives of the Revenue Department, the Joint Water Board, and the director general of the GDA.The committee’s primary responsibility was to restore the original forest boundaries in accordance with the Survey of Pakistan reports of 2015-16 and 2020-21.
During the hearing, when the committee’s report was presented before the court, it was outright rejected. The written order stated that the report submitted by the committee was “nothing but a sham and a blatant violation of the court’s clear directions.”
Rejecting the report submitted by a committee constituted to determine forest boundaries, the court termed it a violation of its earlier orders. The court observed that if the two senior officials fail to appear, proceedings may be initiated against them.
The court observed that since the Survey of Pakistan reports were already available to the committee, its conclusion that the boundaries could not be determined and that a fresh survey was required reflected bad faith and an attempt to evade responsibility.
The order stated that the committee had not only wasted valuable government time but had also failed miserably in discharging its official duties.Describing the committee’s performance as disappointing, the court issued notices and adjourned further proceedings until June 10, while directing both senior officials to appear before the court with strict instructions.
