Report Illegal Tree Cutting in Lahore: Up to Rs 500,000 Fine Under the 2025 Act

To report a tree being cut illegally in a Lahore park, green belt or green area, call the Horticulture Agency Lahore, still widely known as PHA, on 042 99200830 or 042 99203333, or file on the Pakistan Citizen Portal. Under the Punjab Horticulture Authority Act 2025, breaking the Act can cost up to Rs 500,000, a year in jail, or both.

Smog season is the wrong time to lose a single tree. And it is easy to see one go: a crew arrives with a saw, a roadside green belt is cleared for a shop front, and by the evening only a stump is left. Most people assume nothing can be done. That is not quite right. We read the 2025 law on the Punjab Code website, and it lets any person complain.

The Punjab Horticulture Authority Act 2025 now protects Lahore's trees

The Punjab Horticulture Authority Act 2025 was published in the Punjab Gazette on 5 August 2025 and came into force at once. It repealed the Parks and Horticulture Authority Act 2012 and turned PHA Lahore into the "Horticulture Agency, Lahore", under a new provincial authority.

The Act applies to the whole of district Lahore, to areas notified under the old 2012 Act, and to any other area the government notifies. Section 8 also turned the old horticulture authorities of other cities into agencies, such as Horticulture Agency, Gujranwala.

The PHA website still describes itself as set up in 1998 under the Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976. That is its history. The law that governs it today is the 2025 Act. Its office is at Gate No. 4, Jillani Park, 2 Jail Road, Lahore.

The law allows tree cutting only case by case, with replacement

Section 11(2)(h) of the 2025 Act gives the Lahore agency the job to "protect trees and other vegetation". It may allow a tree to be cut only "on case to case basis by ensuring adequate replacement". So permission is the exception, and a new tree is the price of it.

The same Act makes the provincial authority give policy directions to "protect trees and other vegetation", under section 6. It also says the ownership of every notified public park, green belt and green area vests in the authority, under section 33. That means a green belt outside a house or shop is not the owner's to clear.

Section 21 goes further. If a green belt has been raised, bricked over or concreted by the owner or occupier next to it, the agency can order it removed and recover the cost.

Fines and jail terms under section 32

Breaking the Act can bring up to one year in jail, a fine up to Rs 500,000, or both. Doing something without the permission the Act requires carries a fine up to Rs 25,000. A continuing breach of an order adds up to Rs 5,000 a day.

These are maximums set by the Act, not fixed fines. A court decides the actual penalty. Offences under the Act are cognizable and bailable, under section 34. Cognizable means police can register a case and act. Bailable means the accused has a right to bail.

One limit matters. Under section 32(5), the case goes to the police on a written complaint from an officer authorised by the authority or the agency. So your complaint goes to the agency first, and the agency takes it to the police.

Report illegal tree cutting in Lahore in five steps

Take photos, note the exact place, call the Horticulture Agency Lahore, then file a written complaint on the Pakistan Citizen Portal and keep the reference. Section 28 lets "any person" complain to the agency about a breach of the Act.

1. Stay safe and do not confront the crew. A falling branch or an angry contractor is not worth it. Watch from a distance.
2. Take photos or a short video showing the tree, the saw or vehicle, and a landmark. Note the date and time.
3. Record the exact place. Road name, nearest house number or shop, and a map pin. Say whether it is a park, a green belt along a road, or another green area.
4. Call the agency on 042 99200830 or 042 99203333, the numbers on PHA's website, and ask whether the cutting has permission. Ask for the name of the officer you spoke to.
5. File in writing. Use the Pakistan Citizen Portal and pick the department that handles parks and horticulture in Lahore. Attach your photos and keep the complaint number.

The PHA website lists an email address that ends in ".com", not ".pk", which may be a typing error on the site. We did not send a test email, so use the phone numbers or the Citizen Portal first.

If the portal closes your complaint without action, you can reopen a closed Citizen Portal complaint. You can also ask the agency in writing for the permission order, if any, under the Punjab right to information law.

Which office to call depends on where the tree stands

The 2025 Act covers notified public parks, green belts and green areas in Lahore. A tree in a reserved or protected forest falls under the Forest Act 1927 and the Punjab Forest Department. For a tree on private land, or in a cantonment, the rules differ.

We have not confirmed how far the 2025 Act reaches into cantonments or private plots, because it speaks of notified parks, green belts and green areas. If you are unsure, call the agency anyway and ask. The worst answer is that it is someone else's job, and they will usually tell you whose.

Do not wait. The smog season in Punjab runs roughly from late October into January, and a stump cannot be put back.

Common questions

Who protects trees in Lahore's parks and green belts?

The Horticulture Agency Lahore, formerly the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), under the Punjab Horticulture Authority Act 2025. Its duties include protecting trees and other vegetation.

What is the fine for cutting a tree illegally in Lahore?

The Act sets maximums, not a fixed fine. Breaking it can mean up to Rs 500,000, a year in jail, or both. Acting without a required permission carries up to Rs 25,000.

Can anyone report tree cutting, or only the owner?

Anyone. Section 28 of the 2025 Act says any person may file a complaint with the agency about a breach of the Act.

Can the agency allow a tree to be cut?

Yes, but only case by case and with "adequate replacement", under section 11(2)(h). Ask to see the permission if a crew says it has one.

Is illegal tree cutting a bailable offence?

Yes. Section 34 of the 2025 Act makes offences under it cognizable and bailable.

What is the PHA Lahore phone number?

The PHA website lists 042 99200830 and 042 99203333. The office is at Gate No. 4, Jillani Park, 2 Jail Road, Lahore.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked at 2:30 am PKT on 3 October 2026. We read the full text of the Punjab Horticulture Authority Act 2025 on the Punjab Code website, including sections 1, 6, 8, 11, 21, 28, 32, 33, 34 and 41, and the Punjab Plantation and Maintenance of Trees Act 1974. We read PHA's website at pha.punjab.gov.pk for its address, phone numbers and history. We did not call the numbers at night or file a test complaint, so we cannot say how fast the agency responds. The Act's reach over cantonments and private plots is not settled in its text, and the table above gives the usual first contact rather than a legal ruling.