Banyan tree under arrest in Pakistan: Why a British officer ordered it chained in 1898, and nobody ever 'released' it

A tree cannot run away. It cannot commit a crime, appear before a court or understand an arrest order. Yet in Landi Kotal, a town at the western end of the Khyber Pass in present-day Pakistan, one banyan tree has spent more than a century in chains. A board hanging from the tree carries the curious declaration: “I am under arrest.” The unusual sight dates back, according to a long-running local account, to 1898, when the region was under British rule. The story involves a British army officer, an evening of drinking and what he apparently believed was a tree moving towards him. More than 120 years later, the chains remain.

The strange story behind Pakistan’s 'arrested' tree

The story has been reported for years by Pakistani and international media. According to the account, British officer James Squid was in Landi Kotal when he became convinced that a nearby banyan tree was moving towards him. Reports say the officer was intoxicated at the time. Believing the tree could somehow escape, Squid ordered a mess sergeant to arrest it. The order was followed.

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The tree was fastened to the ground with heavy chains and, remarkably, was never released. A plaque attached to it explains the supposed incident and states that the tree is still “under arrest”.

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A 2002 account cited by TOI, quoting then Khyber Rifles mess secretary Captain Nasir Farooq, said the officer believed the tree was moving towards Peshawar and ordered the sergeant to restrain it.

Where is the chained banyan tree in Pakistan?

The tree is located in Landi Kotal, in the Khyber region of present-day Pakistan, close to the Afghanistan border. Landi Kotal sits at the western end of the Khyber Pass, one of the historic routes connecting the Indian subcontinent with Afghanistan. During British rule, the location had major military importance because of its position on the frontier.

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The area was also affected by conflict in the late 19th century. The Khyber region witnessed an uprising by Afridi tribesmen in 1897, including attacks on British positions. The British subsequently strengthened their military presence in the area.

The Khyber Rifles were stationed at posts in the pass by the end of the 19th century, placing the bizarre tree story against the backdrop of a heavily militarised frontier.

Why did the British officer chain the tree?

There is no court case, official charge sheet or conventional arrest behind the tree's supposed imprisonment.

Instead, the story has survived as a colonial-era anecdote passed down through local accounts and later reported by newspapers.

The basic version has remained remarkably consistent: Squid, reportedly drunk, thought the tree was moving; he ordered a mess sergeant to restrain it; and the order was carried out.

A TOI report described the tree as having been arrested in 1898 after Squid allegedly saw the banyan “lurch” towards him. It said the tree remained chained in the Landi Kotal cantonment, with a board declaring that it was under arrest.

In 2018, local residents said the story had been passed down through generations.

What does the 'I am under arrest' sign say?

The sign is what makes the story particularly unusual for anyone encountering the tree today. It explains that one evening a British officer, described as heavily drunk, believed the tree had moved from its original position and ordered the mess sergeant to arrest it. The wording turns the tree into an imaginary prisoner, one that has supposedly never completed its sentence. Reports over the years have reproduced the plaque as evidence of the story behind the chains.

From bizarre joke to symbol of British colonial rule

What began as an odd story about a supposedly drunken officer has acquired a more serious interpretation over time. Some local accounts have viewed the chained tree as a symbol of the power exercised by the British colonial administration over the frontier population. A 2016 report noted the interpretation that the tree represented the way colonial authority could be imposed through arbitrary orders. The symbolism is particularly striking because the tree itself could not possibly have understood, resisted or escaped the order.

The chains therefore became more than an unusual object attached to a tree. For some observers, they represented the wider legacy of colonial rule in the region.

The tree outlived the British Raj

British rule in the Indian subcontinent ended in 1947, but the banyan tree's supposed sentence did not. The tree remained in chains in Landi Kotal, eventually becoming a curiosity for visitors and a frequently reported remnant of the colonial era. More recent reports continue to recount the same story, with the tree and its “under arrest” sign remaining a peculiar landmark in Landi Kotal.

A tree that never committed a crime

The strangest part of the story is also the simplest. There was no crime. No escape attempt. No trial. And certainly no way for a banyan tree to flee to Peshawar. Yet the chains remained. Whether viewed as an amusing colonial anecdote, a local legend or a physical reminder of the authority exercised during British rule, the chained banyan of Landi Kotal has survived far longer than the empire that supposedly ordered its arrest.


Inputs from TOI