Pakistan the first one to issue a judgment on environmental law: Justice Jawad
ISLAMABAD (11 Sept 2026): The inclusion of a Lahore High Court (LHC) judgment in a handbook of Cambridge University Press is a true recognition of Pakistan’s judiciary, said speakers at the launch of “The Cambridge Handbook of Islam and Environmental Law”.
The book launch was organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Friday.
In his keynote address, Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court said Pakistan is the first country in the world to issue a judgment of its kind on environmental law. He said Article 9-A had been added to the Constitution through the 26th Amendment to provide for a sustainable environment, in line with the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Justice Jawad said Islamic epistemology, rooted in Quranic verses and hadith, held that resources had been bestowed upon mankind in due proportion that should not be disturbed. He said the world had long looked to instruments such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights, while the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) similarly enshrined such rights. Every human being is merely a trustee of God on earth, obligated to preserve resources likening it to safeguarding “a glass of water” for future generations, he said, adding that it is a principal that courts had already applied in disputes concerning water extraction.
He further said the subject held particular importance for COP31, given Pakistan’s close ties with Turkiye and Azerbaijan, and voiced hope that the concept would be developed further as a global discourse.
In his welcome remarks, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said the book is significant as it cited a number of judgments from Pakistani courts, with one chapter dedicated to the judgment authored by Justice Jawad Hassan. He said the launch of the book ahead of COP31 was pertinent, as the conference would take up discussions on mitigation, adaptation and related themes.
Dr Suleri said all religions spoke of the conservation of nature, and Islam and Shariah jurisprudence in particular shed light on environmental protection. He announced that SDPI would host a special session on Islam and environmental law at COP31.
The handbook, edited by Prof Nadia B. Ahmad of Barry University School of Law, Prof Saba Kareemi of Pakistan College of Law, Erum K. Sattar of Tufts University and Oluwakemi A. Ayanleye of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria, comprises 27 chapters authored by 24 scholars from 16 countries. Its 16th chapter examines the 2019 LHC judgment in Sheikh Asim Farooq v. Federation of Pakistan, authored by Justice Jawad Hassan, which had directed the enforcement of forest-protection laws in the country.
Sibah Farooq, the chairperson of Islamabad High Court Bar Committees on Women Empowerment and Environmental Rights and Animal Laws, felicitating SDPI for being the first to launch the book, said it is a proud moment for Pakistan that Justice Jawad’s judgment had been referenced in Chapter 16. She noted that three of the book’s editors were of Pakistani origin, and said the subject required greater public debate.
She said Pakistan had produced a string of judgments addressing Islam and environmental law, citing a judgment by Justice Jawad on curbing food wastage at restaurants and another aimed at aligning public lifestyles with nature, in line with Islamic teachings on environmental protection.
Prof Nadia B. Ahmad, the lead editor, thanked Justice Jawad Hassan for his contribution to the book, and expressed gratitude to SDPI and Dr Abid Suleri for hosting the launch. She said the book sought to fill the gap in Islamic epistemologies, voices and contributions on the subject, drawing on both Sunni and Shia jurisprudence.
She said the volume was structured around four core principles of Islamic jurisprudence, mizan (balance), khilafa (stewardship), amana (trust) and hima (protected zones), and noted that Pakistan’s courts already treated Islamic ecological principles as enforceable law, not merely sentiment. She termed him a model with strong potential for urban planning and resource management.
Prof Saba Kareemi, co-editor of the book, said the project originated after Prof Ahmad’s earlier paper on Islamic environmental law was rejected on the grounds that no such field existed, prompting the compilation of a full-length book to establish otherwise. She said Islamic environmental law had a 1,500-year history and remained a living and relevant body of law, adding that the book also aimed to build capacity within the Islamic legal fraternity by approaching the subject through the lens of risk and governance.
Discussants at the launch included Gul Najam Jamy, former Country Director of IUCN and consultant to the World Bank, who termed the book a remarkable publication and called for its academic work to be translated into practical application.
Zainab Naeem, Head of Ecological Sustainability and Circular Economy, cited global precedents including the Chipko movement and the contribution of Wangari Maathai in Africa, alongside Pakistan’s Shehla Zia case and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, noting that these had not previously been linked to Islamic jurisprudence. She cited Justice Jawad’s recent judgment on the Takht Pari forest as an example rooted in Islamic environmental law and commended the prominence of Pakistani women among the book’s editors.
Neshmiyah Khan, Manager Legal at WWF, described the book as an important resource having examples to enforce Islam-based environmental law.
Ahmad Rafay Alam, environmental lawyer, cited the hadith on offering water to a thirsty person as an early articulation of stewardship principles in Islamic law. He said the colonial-era construction of railways had led to the nationalization of forests and deprived local communities of their customary rights, and described the Asim Farooq judgment as a notable example of public interest litigation.
