Residents move court to save 200-year-old tree
Residents of Rampura have taken a stay order in the Peshawar High Court.
PESHAWAR:
Residents in a Peshawar neighbourhood have had enough – they would not have a 200-year-old tree in their neighbourhood chopped down.
To save the old banyan tree, residents of Rampura have taken a stay order in the Peshawar High Court. They are determined, and ready to pay twice the amount the contractor had paid to the Auqaf department in the auction.
Located at the corner of a small street in Mohallah Samandar Khan area of Rampura, part of the tree has been chopped off; the remaining was left intact after the locals protested.
Muzzamil Shah, a local trader who represents the residents in court, told The Express Tribune that the tree is about 200 years old. Shah said that the Auqaf department had earlier auctioned the tree to a contractor for Rs17,000 and locals approached the court for a stay order.
“This tree is on the district government’s property and has nothing to do with the Auqaf department, then how can Auqaf auction it?” Shah questioned.
A few days ago, the contractor tried to cut the tree at night despite the issue being in court, but was stopped by us, Shah added.
“What harm has this tree done to anyone? People from all over the world plant trees, while here they are cut mercilessly,” he said.
The banyan tree is neither weak enough to collapse nor is it blocking the road, so there is no reason to chop it down, Shah said, adding that the Hindu community comes here every Thursday to light candles and are upset about plans to cut the tree.
Ameer Usman, an elderly man who is heading the drive, said that the tree was being cut down at the behest of a trader who has rented a shop there. The tree hides the trader’s shop, Usman added.
He asked government officials and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to save the tree and cancel the auction.
“Although it is the state’s job to protect such things, people should feel proud and protect their heritage themselves,” said Dr Adil Zareef, conservation activist and member of Sarhad Conservation Network. In the past, Buddhists worshipped trees here, but now they are all being chopped down, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.
Residents in a Peshawar neighbourhood have had enough – they would not have a 200-year-old tree in their neighbourhood chopped down.
To save the old banyan tree, residents of Rampura have taken a stay order in the Peshawar High Court. They are determined, and ready to pay twice the amount the contractor had paid to the Auqaf department in the auction.
Located at the corner of a small street in Mohallah Samandar Khan area of Rampura, part of the tree has been chopped off; the remaining was left intact after the locals protested.
Muzzamil Shah, a local trader who represents the residents in court, told The Express Tribune that the tree is about 200 years old. Shah said that the Auqaf department had earlier auctioned the tree to a contractor for Rs17,000 and locals approached the court for a stay order.
“This tree is on the district government’s property and has nothing to do with the Auqaf department, then how can Auqaf auction it?” Shah questioned.
A few days ago, the contractor tried to cut the tree at night despite the issue being in court, but was stopped by us, Shah added.
“What harm has this tree done to anyone? People from all over the world plant trees, while here they are cut mercilessly,” he said.
The banyan tree is neither weak enough to collapse nor is it blocking the road, so there is no reason to chop it down, Shah said, adding that the Hindu community comes here every Thursday to light candles and are upset about plans to cut the tree.
Ameer Usman, an elderly man who is heading the drive, said that the tree was being cut down at the behest of a trader who has rented a shop there. The tree hides the trader’s shop, Usman added.
He asked government officials and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to save the tree and cancel the auction.
“Although it is the state’s job to protect such things, people should feel proud and protect their heritage themselves,” said Dr Adil Zareef, conservation activist and member of Sarhad Conservation Network. In the past, Buddhists worshipped trees here, but now they are all being chopped down, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.