KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday restrained the authorities concerned from cutting trees along Sharea Faisal and directed the director general of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and others to submit a comprehensive report.

The direction came from a two-judge bench, comprising Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi and Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro, on a petition filed by a citizen, Abdul Hamid Ahmed Dagia, who accused the authorities concerned of violating environmental laws and judicial directives.

After the hearing, the division bench issued notices to the respondents, including the Sindh government, administrator of the local government, secretary of the forest and wildlife department, DG of Sepa, director general of the forest department, law officer and others for Aug 12.

The court also directed the Sepa DG and the chief conservator of forests to submit a comprehensive report in response to the petition. Meanwhile, it restrained the respondents from cutting trees along Sharea Faisal till the next hearing.

The counsel for the petitioner, Muhammad Ahmer, submitted before the court that the applicant is a businessman who has been campaigning to raise awareness about environmental issues since 2015.

Bench issues notices to Sepa chief, forest and wildlife secretary and local govt dept concerned

He claimed that a large-scale deforestation is currently underway along Sharea Faisal, where the respondents, either directly or through their contractors, have commenced extensive cutting of fully-grown trees in violation of environmental laws and judicial pronouncements.

Based on personal observation, the petitioner alleged that hundreds of mature trees — some decades old — lining both sides of Sharea Faisal are being felled “without any disclosure of lawful authorisation, requisite environmental clearances, or compliance with the applicable regulatory framework”.

“No environmental impact assessment (EIA), as mandated under the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, appears to have been undertaken or approved for the said activity. Nor has any order of the competent authority or judicial sanction been made public to justify this arbitrary and irreversible action,” the petitioner stated.

The counsel also referred to a direction passed by the SHC in 2024 in a case, which stated that no tree shall be removed without the express permission of the competent authority and the sessions judge concerned throughout Sindh. The order also directed that priority be accorded to the relocation rather than destruction of trees.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2025