Firstly, good news from Peshawar: the botanical gardens of the university have been saved. A Sarhad Conservancy Network delegation led by Adil Zareef called on Chancellor Governor Lt General Iftikhar Hussain Shah on December 1.

They were supported by heavyweight citizens of the city, and the charge was led by General Jehanzeb Khan (IMA, Guides Cavalry, the last of our army officers to have driven a four-in-hand), Dr A R Beg (PhD, botanist/plant ecologist), Professor Bashir Durrani (Islamia College, sec. gen. Sarhad Chamber of Agriculture), Ms Barkat Awan (PhD, Botany; former principal of Frontier College), and Professor Nasiruddin Azam (former principal Khyber Medical College and provincial health minister). The chancellor ordered that the trees, which have taken half a century to grow to the size they now are, not be destroyed.

Professor Isa Daudpota sought the support of Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, chairman of our Higher Education Commission and a federal minister, who, after investigating the matter, penned a letter to the vice-chancellor :

"I have learnt with concern from a newspaper article that the botanical garden at Peshawar University is being demolished. I have been trying to contact you unsuccessfully for the last couple of days on this issue. I shall be grateful if you could kindly consider transforming it into a truly beautiful botanical garden. Finances for this purpose can be made available by the Higher Education Commission."

The bad news from Peshawar : the Peshawar Cantonment Board, obviously on a money-making binge, are about to demolish the temple and abode of the Valmikis (mispronounced by those who have difficulties with the letter 'v' as Balmikis). This community has been living and praying at the site for over 150 years. Now, the greedy Board is intent on grabbing the land and building thereon a shopping plaza. Corruption, as usual, overrides everything else, including sense. If Zareef and other Peshawarites cannot move the governor in the right direction they should go to the High Court and get a stay.

Many heard Mohammad Ali Jinnah on August 11, 1947, and many more thereafter have read what it was he told his budding constitution-makers : "You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the state." What no one heard him say was "Just you wait, the philistines who will rule after me will leave no temple standing."

Would the PCB consider demolishing a mosque and replacing it with a shopping mall?

Back to the trees and news from Singapore's 'Straits Times'. "A 50-year-old tree on Fort Canning Hill is one of at least 22 that will be saved from the axe, when a new underground road is built to link Stamford Road with Penang Road." The 'Terap' tree is not a rare species. But rather than felling the trees, other means and methods are to be adopted which will cost the state two to three million dollars more, but will leave the hill's tranquillity undisturbed, as well as save most of the 37 trees standing in the way.

A related message announces : "Saved: Loyang's Khaya trees." Alternative planning and engineering means and methods will save over 200 of these graceful trees, at least 30 years old, along Loyang Avenue.

This has happened in Singapore, planned and nurtured by that able dictator, Lee Kuan Yew, who led and moulded the thought process of his fun-loving, hard-working, prosperous people. It did not happen - and as things stand it could not happen - in this land of the pure.

For those wishing to know how development and planning matters are handled in democratic, orderly, law-abiding, civilized lands, reproduced is an e-mail message received from Qasim Durrani, who works for a local council bordering Greater London and who went to an engineering university down the road from the botanical gardens of the Peshawar University (anyone wishing further information, or to pose any questions to him, may e-mail him at qdkim@essex399.fsnet.co.uk):

"The first step in order to get approval for any developmental work is the local council's planning department. A planning application is tendered along with all details of proposed works, including drawings (specifics are advised by the planning officer dealing with the case). There is of course a fee that has to accompany the application. Once it is received, planners scrutinize it and then a council-wide consultation is carried out, which includes passing on details of the proposed scheme/works to all departments within the council (highways, drainage/flood defence, environmental health, building services, housing, leisure services, legal and horticulture, etc). Each department looks at the proposal in light of impact on areas within their remit, seeking guidance from historical and current legislation.

"Concerned officers visit the site and then forward their comments/observations on the proposed works to the planning department (reply to consultation). Wider feedback from public consultation is obtained by prominently displaying notices around the proposed site of works, if required a public gathering and discussion can also be carried out and all through the process of planning approval the submitted proposal is available to the public at the local authority offices for inspection and viewing. If need be and if deemed appropriate by any of the internal consultees the proposal can be referred to outside agencies - the Environment Agency, English Nature, National Heritage Foundation and the Corporation of London, etc.

"The approving authority, after internal consultations and reference to current rules and regulations, then takes a decision on approval of the works. Planning approval is made conditional [on] any comments made as a result of the consultations process. These planning conditions would need to be discharged fully, completely and to the satisfaction of the approving authority for the works to be deemed to have been carried out in accordance with the planning approval granted.

"Failure to do so shall mean that the works will not receive a final approval and the works carried out would be illegal, repeat illegal, as far as the local council is concerned, effectively leaving the development uninhabitable, non-rentable, non-useable and owners/developers liable to prosecution by the council (whose expenses can be recovered if successful). In a nutshell, you do not want to take on the local planning authority.

"In light of the above, let's look at the specific question on the removal of a roadside tree:

(1) The council's horticultural department would consult records for protection orders of 'nature reserve status' of all trees in the district (these being a protective status granted to tree and plants on a nationwide basis by national organizations and agencies and in light of botanical and historical importance, etc). If the tree in question is 'protected' then no works can be consented and the national body will be informed.

(2) Country Care (the ecological watchdog of the council) would review the loss of biodiversity and would have to be convinced that there is sufficient justification to accept the loss.

(3) Leisure and parks department would take a view on the amenity aspect of the tree and what impact its removal could have on the local character of the site (effect on joggers, dog walkers, etc).

(4) Legal department would want to know if the tree removal would infringe third party right - is the council best suited to take the decision.

(5) Flood defence may want to know possible impact on erosion, run-off or other detrimental impacts.

(6) I feel there would be a considerable 'uproar' from local residents to any such proposal along with strong resistance from environmentally conscious groups.

"Having said all of the above, there is always a valid exception on health and safety grounds. If a tree is deemed to represent a danger to life or property, then in the first instance preventive measures will be [called for] (growth management and minor cutting) and if that does not work, then the tree can be pollarded/removed.

"The above is of course my understanding of the system in the council for which I work. There could be different rules in other places. Also, this being my initial response, there may be omissions or errors.

"In the case of the botanical gardens in Peshawar, I can be almost certain that something like that would be very hard to justify in the U.K. Such a heavy price in loss of historical assets and a viable alternative would most certainly be sought. If not then as a compromise, the development would be made conditional [on] achievement of substantial improvement in biodiversity, which would not seem possible in this case (because the fact that what is being removed is hard to replace, let alone enhance)."

Qasim added a telling little note at the end of his message : "I am reminded of an elderly farmer from my small village near Charsadda who once asked me 'Khan, why did none of the British officers who served here during the Raj ever get plots in the cantonment and build themselves large houses?'. My reply was that maybe they sent all their money back home. To this he retorted, 'But many of them are buried here'."

E-mail: arfc@cyber.net.pk