Ch. Imran Hassan Ali is representing the Petitioners in a Constitution Petition challenging the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Power Crusher Rules, 2020. Through these rules, the Government of KPK has reduced the safe distance for power crushers from places of human habitation from 1000 metres to 500 metres in urban areas and 300 metres in rural areas, which has created an environmentally disastrous situation for hundreds of thousands of people in the province of KPK.
On 15-06-2021, the Supreme Court accepted preliminary arguments of the Petitioners and issued notice to the Government of KPK. The Court also directed the relevant authorities to inspect the power crushers near Petitioners’ homes to make sure that they are complying with the current national environmental quality standards. The Court also added the power crusher owners as respondents in the Constitution Petition.
On 06-04-2022, Imran submitted on behalf of the petitioners that the power crusher owners are harassing and intimidating the locals to make them sell their lands to them. He requested the Court to make an interim order to curb such coerced sales of land. The Court allowed the Petitioners’ request to place a moratorium on transfer of land around stone crushers in the area until further orders. This order will save the locals from undue harassment and pressure at the hands of unscrupulous power crusher owners.
On 25-04-2022, the Court ordered formation of a special commission headed by the renowned environmental lawyer, Dr. Parvez Hassan, to monitor the operation of power crushers in KPK and to ensure compliance of environmental standards. The order can be downloaded by clicking here.
The power crusher owners are being represented by senior advocates, Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan and Khawaja Haris Ahmad.
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