SC allows stone-crushers to be party in KP stone crushing case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted pleas of stone-crushers to become a party in case pertaining to new stone-crushing rules in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial hearing the case.

The bench while accepting pleas of various stone-crushers to become a party in the case ordered to inform them.

The government counsel intimated to the court that a few stone-crushers are following the rules.

“How could the KP government formulating new rules despite knowing the fact that the matter is already under trial at the Supreme Court,” the bench questioned. “Why a contempt of court notice not to be served to the KP government,” the court asked.

“The distance of stone crushers also reduced in new rules,” the bench observed. “Stone-crushers are aggrieved party, the case will be heard after making them a party in the case,” Justice Bandial remarked.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case until December.

The bench in an earlier hearing said that the KP government was in deep sleep, the government was asked to ensure stone-crushing as per the international laws, but it failed.

“The new technology will help in controlling environmental pollution, but the after effects of stone crushing can be felt in a range of 260 meters and blasts can be heard upto a distance of 300 meters.”