PESHAWAR : The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday banned illegal glacier cutting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), calling it a serious threat to the environment and a clear violation of national laws.
Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Waqar Ahmad, who formed the two-member bench, heard the case and issued a strict order to stop all glacier cutting activities across the province. The court directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and all deputy commissioners to implement the ban immediately and submit reports.
The petition is filled by Tariq Afghan Advocate through Sajeed Afridi Advocate. They informed the court that people extract glacier ice and transport it in trucks for commercial sale, especially during summer. He claimed that up to 200 trucks carry glacier ice daily, which causes faster melting and leads to floods. “They cut glaciers from the bottom, and when temperatures rise, floods hit downstream areas,” they argued in the court.
Justice Ejaz Anwar expressed disappointment with the government and said officials failed to protect agricultural land from flood damage. “The government must act now. These glaciers offer natural beauty, and tourists would enjoy them more if left untouched,” he said.
Justice Waqar Ahmad demanded action from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department and asked why it does not monitor glacier removal the same way it controls tree cutting. “The state should have already enforced a complete ban,” he added.
Tariq Afghan, who belongs to the affected region, confirmed that people continue illegal glacier cutting in KP despite rising environmental risks. “Glacier ice reaches markets in Mardan and other towns during summer. I’ve seen this every year,” he said. “Last year, Chitral suffered floods because of this.”
Additional Advocate General Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah rejected the claims and said people cannot access glaciers because they sit thousands of feet above sea level. But the petitioner and Tariq Afghan Advocate maintained that extraction happens at lower levels and remains widespread.
The court declared that illegal glacier cutting violates the Environmental Protection Acts of 1997 and 2014. Tariq Afghan Advocate urged lawmakers to introduce glacier-specific legislation, as Argentina and Tajikistan have already done.
The court ordered authorities to stop all illegal glacier removal at once and take legal action against those involved. It also directed all deputy commissioners to ensure enforcement and report back to the bench.
