Activists call it a criminal act and violation of court orders as smog-choked Lahore loses one of its oldest trees
October 28, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor & Mateen Ali
LAHORE
As Lahore chokes under peak smog season, authorities in the city’s upscale Cantonment area have drawn public outrage for cutting down a 150-year-old banyan tree, an act many call reckless, unlawful, and symbolic of the city’s disregard for its natural heritage.
Environmentalists and civil society members have condemned the move, arguing it blatantly defies multiple Lahore High Court (LHC) directives that restrict tree felling without prior approval. They now plan to approach the court and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), which is legally bound to authorize any such action.
The Voicepk team visited the site in Lahore Cantt, where the banyan tree once stood tall. What remained was a mere 5 to 6-foot stump. The rest had been chopped down. Workers in the nearby market told Voicepk that while some branches were still lying on the ground, the wood from the tree had been taken away by the Cantonment Board.
Civil society activists who arrived at the scene, treated the wounded stump with turmeric powder and wrapped it in white cloth to delay its decay. They said the goal was to preserve the tree so that it could later be relocated and possibly regrow elsewhere.
Despite being heavily chopped, the banyan tree has not been completely uprooted — its roots and trunk remain intact because of the intervention of green activists who rushed to the site to protest the act. They told Voicepk they are working to preserve what is left so the tree can survive and be replanted.
Activists also alleged that the owner of Rahat Bakery had earlier said she would have the tree “removed completely,” a claim that has further angered environmentalists, who see it as a symbol of disregard for Lahore’s ecological and cultural heritage.
Experts sound the alarm
Barrister Mehrunissa Sajjad, who has served as the Secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association’s Environmental Protection Committee, told Voicepk that cutting down a mature banyan tree amounts to erasing a natural defence system against smog.
“We need to understand that huge, old trees with large canopies and deep roots are vital for the ecosystem because they absorb pollutants, keep the temperature low, and provide shade. Especially now, when we are entering peak smog season, removing this ecosystem means removing the services these trees provide at a time when the city needs them the most,” she said.
“Mature trees absorb PM2.5 and PM10 particles, the main pollutants contributing to smog. Cutting down such a tree is a huge disservice to all the inhabitants of Lahore.”
Sajjad added that trees like this banyan are not just environmental assets but living ecosystems in themselves.
“These trees are a world of their own, home to birds, insects, small mammals, and a diverse microbiome that thrives in their canopy and hollow structures. When a tree is cut down, we disrupt that entire chain of life, it’s like disturbing the balance of nature.”
Calling the incident a loss not only for the present but for future generations, she emphasized that in other countries, such trees are given heritage status.
“In 2023, Justice Shahid Kareem, in his LHC judgment on the smog crisis, explicitly directed that no tree shall be cut without prior permission. It’s a blanket ban, yet this order was ignored. Why didn’t the Cantt Board or PHA intervene? These overlapping authorities need clarity, and the PHA must be empowered to act decisively in such cases.”
Activists step in
Environmental activist Abdul Basit told Voicepk that the felling was carried out on the complaint of the Rahat Bakery owner, but activists were able to stop the complete uprooting of the tree.
“We requested the Cantt Board to stop the cutting, and they agreed not to rip out the roots, which remain intact,” he said.
“In this peak smog season, cutting a tree like this is dangerous. We’ve applied turmeric and wrapped the stem in muslin cloth to prevent fungal decay, and we plan to regrow it in the same spot.”
Basit added that the bakery owner claimed to possess a No Objection Certificate (NOC), though activists were not shown any proof.
Environmental conservationist and Convener of the Lahore Bachao Tehreek, Imrana Tiwana, condemned the felling as both an environmental and constitutional violation.
“In a city ranked among the most polluted in the world, cutting down a decades-old banyan tree is a blatant criminal act,” she said.
“Our Constitution’s Article 9, after its amendment, includes sustainability, and heritage, both tangible and intangible, is protected globally under UNESCO definitions. The 150-year-old tree was part of our cultural identity.”
Tiwana also pointed out that Rahat Bakery does not own the property where the tree stood, and any such act required prior permission from the Cantonment Board.
“It must be investigated strictly. All custodians, including the PHA and Cantt Board, must answer why this criminal act was committed in violation of court orders. Children’s hospitals are already overcrowded because of respiratory illnesses linked to smog. Is this the future we’re offering the next generation?”
Voicepk reached out to the Cantonment Board office for comment but received no response.
A lost ecosystem
The banyan tree had stood alongside another smaller tree that continues to shelter life. A local shoemaker still works beneath its shade, while several elderly men gather daily to sip tea under it.
Residents described the area as a thriving ecosystem, birds nested in its branches, insects found refuge in its bark, and people sought peace beneath its canopy.
Now, the absence of the massive banyan has left behind a sense of loss.
“There was also some sadness in the environment because another tree, almost fifty times larger, had carried with it a whole ecosystem. It had nests, insects, and people who sat under its shade. Authorities cut it down intending to rip it out by its roots,” said one visitor.
‘Tree of life’ gone missing
The banyan tree, often referred to as the Tree of Life for its symbolism of immortality, longevity, and stability, held deep emotional value for the community. Most locals in the roundabout marketplace were reluctant to speak on camera, fearing repercussions. An 80-year-old man said off-camera, “I miss that tree. I spent many years of my life under its shade.”
Another local vendor, a 52-year-old man, said, “That banyan tree was like a home to me. I have spent my 52 years of life under that tree, sitting daily in its shade was a routine. I felt sad when it was being cut down. I still feel hollow inside because the tree is no longer here. It feels like a part of my body has been cut off.”
He recalled that the tree was lush and enormous, possibly 200 to 300 years old, and admitted there was concern it might tilt or fall, but said cutting it down was still unjustifiable.
Nearby, a kite perched on a rooftop seemed to search for a new home. Locals speculated that its nest was among the many destroyed when the tree was felled.
Sindh restores what Punjab destroys
In stark contrast, in August 2025, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered the restoration of a 150-year-old banyan tree at Karachi’s Qasr-i-Naz, which had collapsed due to heavy rain and wind.
He directed the forest department to immediately begin restoration work, with Chief Conservator Javed Mahar overseeing the revival.
“In the era of climate change, every plant has immense importance,” Shah had said, adding that the banyan is known as the Tree of Life.
Violation of court orders
At least 26 Lahore High Court orders explicitly ban the felling of trees without prior permission from the court and the PHA. The destruction of the banyan tree, which activists said deserved heritage protection, constitutes a violation of these directives and may invite contempt proceedings.
Punjab’s Assistant Advocate General, Hassan Ijaz Cheema, confirmed the illegality of the act.
“It is a violation of court orders, and we will take this up in court this week,” he told Voicepk, adding that the tree was cut down by Cantonment Board staff.
Responsibility and denials
Voicepk reached out to Rahat Bakery staff, who refused to appear on camera but confirmed that the tree had been removed because it was leaning toward their building. They said they were unaware whether the action was initiated on the owner’s complaint or by the Cantonment Board.
Reports suggest activists were told by bakery employees that the tree’s branches blocked shop visibility, dropped leaves at the entrance, and hindered customer parking.
On X (formerly Twitter), activist Advocate Usama Khawar Ghumman wrote:
“In peak smog season, a 150-year-old banyan tree — a living piece of Lahore’s heritage — has been cut down by Lahore Cantt Board reportedly on Rahat Bakery’s complaint because it blocked ‘customer parking.’ This act is illegal and violates Lahore High Court orders protecting trees.”
Court orders ignored
A court order dated December 3, 2024, reviewed by Voicepk, stated:
“It seems that without the visit of the technical staff of PHA, cutting of trees started and it is not clear as to who was responsible for the said action… any authority or person intending to cut, relocate or trim any part of public trees must follow due process to forestall environmental degradation.”
Despite repeated court directives, the PHA has yet to take any visible action. When Voicepk reached out for a statement regarding this incident, the authority did not respond.
Deforestation on the rise
This is not the first time Lahore’s green heritage has been destroyed in the name of development or convenience.
In 2020, Pakistan had 1.37 million hectares of natural forest, covering 1.7% of its land area. By 2024, the country had lost 451 hectares, equivalent to 68.2 kilotonnes of CO₂ emissions.
According to WWF-Pakistan, the country loses 11,000 hectares of forest cover each year due to deforestation, wildfires, climate change, and the conversion of forest land for agriculture, commercial use, and housing schemes.
In a statement issued on International Day of Forests 2025, WWF-Pakistan highlighted the urgent need to protect and restore the country’s dwindling forests.
A city at a crossroads
As activists continue tending to the wounded stump, Lahore stands at a crossroads between concrete expansion and environmental survival. Whether the Tree of Life can be revived or not, its loss is a haunting reminder that unchecked urban growth comes at the cost of the city’s very breath.