PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday gave three-month time to the provincial government for restoring forest boundaries in Galiyat areas, including Dungagali.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Faheem Wali directed secretary of the forest, climate change and wildlife department Junaid Khan to restore the original position of the forests in Galiyat by Sept 16 and produce a report.

It also directed him to hold a meeting with Survey of Pakistan’s officials regarding the matter.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Galiyat Tahafuz Movement against multiple notifications issued by the last caretaker provincial government to appoint members of the GDA Board and the subsequent actions of the board and its DG, including facilitating construction of a high-rise building on a “disputed land” called Hilda Estate.

Directs secretary to hold meeting with Survey of Pakistan officials on the issue

During the previous hearing on May 21, the court had summoned the secretary forest, director general of Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) and other officials as they had failed to comply with its earlier order of restoring forest boundaries in the Dunga Gali, Abbottabad.

Forest secretary Junaid Khan, GDA DG Mohammad Fawad, forest conservator Hayat Ali and other officials appeared in the hearing.

Justice Arshad Ali remarked that the number of hotels in Galiyat had increased so much that it had badly impacted the environment.

At the start of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Babar Khan Yousafzai, read out the order from the previous hearing.

The bench asked the forest secretary about progress on the matter.

The secretary submitted a report, saying he convened a meeting on June 8 to review the latest situation.

He said that the Survey of Pakistan had conducted a demarcation survey of the Gallies Reserved Forests measuring 307,424 kanals during the year 2015-16, wherein the 7616 kanals of encroached land was identified.

He claimed that as of June 8, the total remaining encroached area stood at 159 kanals out of which 45.45 kanals were under litigation while 113.5 kanals represent discrepancies between the revenue and forest department records.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026