LAYYAH: The Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench has upheld the Layyah Forest Division’s action against sawmills accused of violating forestry regulations, rejecting an intra-court appeal filed by one of the affected owners.
According to the Forest Department, several sawmills were issued notices and subsequently sealed for alleged violations of the Forest Act, 1927, and the Punjab Forest Depot Rules, 2024.
The enforcement action was taken on the directions of the Secretary of Forestry and Wildlife Punjab, Lahore, under the supervision of Layyah Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr Sajjad Haider.
Ten sawmill owners challenged the action by filing Constitutional Petition No. 11948/26, titled Asif Hussain and others versus Government of Punjab and others, before the Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench.
On September 28, 2026, Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal dismissed the petition at the initial hearing and imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the petitioners, according to the department’s account.
Asif Hussain subsequently filed an intra-court appeal, ICA No. 249/26, challenging the decision.
On October 8, 2026, a division bench comprising Justice Javed Hassan and Justice Abid Hussain Chattha rejected the appellants’ position and upheld the decision in favour of the Layyah Forest Division.
Bashir Ahmed Khan Buzdar, Assistant Advocate General at the Lahore High Court, presented arguments on behalf of the Punjab government. Kashif Kamran Shirazi, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Machhu, and Mehr Mukhtar Ahmed, Forest Inspector/DP, assisted the department in the case.
The ruling represents a legal development in the department’s efforts to enforce forestry regulations and strengthen oversight of sawmill operations. Effective enforcement of forest laws is important for preventing unlawful timber handling and supporting the sustainable management of forest resources.
