Not a tree in sight: Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad

PESHAWAR: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmad on Monday observed that dust pollution in Peshawar had made life miserable, making it difficult for people to breathe.

He made these remarks while heading a three-member bench of the apex court which was hearing a suo motu case of environmental pollution. The other members of the bench were Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Faisal Arab.

The chief justice said the time of running business through letters had passed. The environmental condition of Peshawar is deplorable with pollution everywhere, he said, adding that there was so much dust that it was difficult to breathe. He said if this was the condition of Peshawar, what would be the condition of other cities. He said there were not many factories in Peshawar.

The chief justice said environmental pollution in Peshawar was so alarming that one could not move around without wearing a facemask even at a time when the coronavirus prevalence had subsided. He observed that government officials were sitting in their offices and nobody could be seen in the field.

“The officials should be relieved if they are not needed,” he observed. He said there should be practical steps instead of paperwork to improve the situation.

“The citizens are going through trouble. The government must pay attention to this issue,” he observed. “Where is the Billion Tree Tsunami Project under which claims were made about planting one billion trees? We cannot see a single tree while travelling to Peshawar,” he observed.

Earlier, when the bench started hearing the case, Advocate General Shumail Ahmad Butt, Industries Secretary Javed Marwat, Secretary Forests and Environment Shahidullah and Director General of Environmental Protection Agency Dr Bashir Ahmad appeared before the court to represent the KP government.

The chief justice asked the AG what the KP government had done to control environmental pollution. He asked if a policy had been evolved and how action would be taken against the industries vitiating environment.

The AG said the KP government had taken some steps. He said the cement factories had been asked to install filtration plants and most of the plants had been put them in place. The hearing was adjourned for four weeks.