Eco-friendly justice: PHC declares Shimla Hills a green belt

The bench, declared the previous government’s order to the transfer deeds and acquisition null and void.

ABBOTABAD:

A division bench of the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday gave the order to term Shimla Hills a  green belt banning its acquisition, transfer of property rights and construction of every kind.

The bench, comprising Justice Waqar Sethi and Justice Irshad Qaisar also declared the previous government’s order to the transfer deeds and acquisition null and void and asked for legal action against the officials who were facilitating the transfer in the last three years.

The order was given after Advocate Zafar Iqbal, on behalf of Zubair Khan and other social activists, filed a petition in April last year asking for a ban on construction on the hills. It is pertinent to mention that after the ANP government ordered last year to allow construction on the hills, the district bar association swung into action, adopting resolutions twice to halt construction.

Journalists and environmentalists also opposed the order and protested several times.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.