ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed Balochistan government to provide land within one month for the stone crushing plants.
The apex court instructed the chief secretary of the province to appear in person to tell the reasons if the land was not allocated within the said time.
The case was heard by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. Justice Ayesha A. Malik observed that the court had ordered the provincial government to notify wildlife parks in last hearing, however neither the park land was notified, nor there was allocation for alternate land for the stone crushing plants.
SC on stone crushing plants
The honorable judge further remarked that the plant owners had been waiting for years but the government couldn’t address the matter. Justice Athar Minallah observed that why not the chief secretary should be summoned if the issue was not being resolved. He added that if the law officers were unable to take any decision, then the chief secretary was responsible.
Additional advocate general Balochistan requested the court to grant some time so that they could resolve the issue after consultation with the concerned crushers. He further said that the director mines had shown the land to the representatives of crushers near the provincial capital Quetta but the they didn’t want to move there.
He requested the court to grant time up to two months instead of one month. The chief justice remarked that the court couldn’t grant much time as it would affect the image of the provincial government.
