Glacial exploitation threatens Pakistan’s climate stability
With over 7,000 glaciers, Pakistan holds one of the largest reserves of glacial ice outside the polar regions. These glaciers feed the Indus River system, serving as a backbone of national water security, sustaining agriculture, biodiversity, and human life. However, unchecked illegal extraction of glacial ice for commercial sale - especially in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) districts like Dir, Chitral, and Swat - has escalated, posing an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem.

The commercial harvesting of glacial ice not only accelerates glacial melt and increases the risk of catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) but also violates both environmental and climate policies in Pakistan. Despite these risks, weak enforcement and the absence of a dedicated legal framework allowed illicit activities to thrive.

Legal action spurs landmark judicial intervention
In July 2024, Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan), through its Legal Advice Centre, submitted a formal complaint to the KP provincial government as well as the provincial high court. Citing violations of the KP climate change policy of 2022 and the environmental protection act of 2014, TI Pakistan demanded immediate legislative and administrative action. The organisation urged the adoption of best practices from countries like Tajikistan, which had recently enacted glacier protection law.

The matter gained judicial traction when a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) by a local lawyer. On May 6, 2025, the PHC issued a landmark interim order banning all commercial glacial ice extraction across KP. The ruling marked a pivotal moment in environmental protection, acknowledging the glaciers’ value and marking their preservation as an issue of paramount importance for the country ‘s future.

Strengthened enforcement and civic oversight
The court’s decision was soon tested. Reports of continued illegal glacier cutting in Dir Upper led to a contempt petition filed by local lawyers. On May 27, 2025, the PHC issued a stern warning, reinforcing its earlier ruling. The district administration, a respondent in the petition, assured the court that it will invoke section 144 of the criminal procedure code of Pakistan (Cr.P.C), bringing legal consequences to violators.

The case underscores how civic oversight, institutional vigilance, and rule of law can converge to combat environmental crime and corruption. It also reflects growing recognition of climate protection as a legal and moral imperative.

As one petitioner Advocate Tariq Afghan puts it: “The glaciers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are constitutional assets. Their protection is no longer optional; it is a duty under the law.”