SC directs stone crushers to stop blasting in two months in KP.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court on Monday directed the stone crushing plants to stop blasting in two months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and court would issue its ruling in this regard.

A three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the case regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stone crushers rules filed by a resident Aamir Ishaq.

During the course of proceedings, the court ordered formation of commission for protection of environmental pollution and affected nearby communities from power crushers. The parties including the KP government should appoint the members of the commission and informed the court in this regard.

The court stated that the commission should suggest how nearby communities could be protected from pollution and problems spread by power crushers.

Advocate Imran Hussain counsel for the petitioner said that the KP government amended rules to allow power crushers to be set up at 500 meters instead of 1000 meters.

Justice Ijaz said that according to reports, power crushing was spreading cancer and respiratory diseases in nearby residential areas. He asked why no precautionary measures had been taken for power crushing.

The counsel said that the waste release of stone crushers was the main reason for the spread of diseases. Stone crushers cause rocks to fly with noise, which could lead to deaths, he added.

Advocate Aitzaz Ahsan counsel for the stone crushing plants said that if the population was growing closer to the site, then what was the fault of stone crushers.

Justice Mansoor said that stone crushers were affecting...