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PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a petition seeking the plantation of olive trees along the motorway.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Naeem and Justice Faheem Wali heard the petition. Counsel for petitioner Nadim Shah, Rehmanullah Shah, Additional Advocate General Bilal Khalil and the Assistant Attorney General appeared before the court.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel said vacant spaces along the motorway were being used for plantation of various types of trees, but the remaining available land should also be utilised for growing olive trees. He argued that olive plantation would have a positive impact on the environment and contribute to strengthening the economy.
He said Pakistan had now joined the countries exporting olives and that promoting olive cultivation could further benefit the national economy.AAG Bilal told the court that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had planted trees across the province under the Billion Tree Tsunami initiative, including a large number of olive trees, which were contributing significantly to the economy.
He said the provincial government encouraged environmental-friendly initiatives and, if the federal government had no objection, the provincial government was prepared to contribute and take measures for planting olive trees along the motorway.
The assistant attorney general, however, opposed the proposal, saying olive trees were fruit-bearing plants that required regular spraying. Since people travelled along the motorway, such spraying could affect the environment and passengers, he argued.
He maintained that, from a technical standpoint, planting olive trees along the motorway was not appropriate.After hearing arguments from all sides, the court reserved its judgment on the petition.
