Hearings on long-pending cases begin on the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench
The six-judge constitutional bench of Pakistan’s highest court, presided over by Justice Aminuddin Khan, has begun hearing lengthy applications, the first of which concerns pollution in the country’s ecosystems.
At one point during the meeting, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that the court will investigate any and all environmental complaints. Along with Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Musarrat Hilali has voiced worry over the fast expansion of housing societies around the nation. The speaker mentioned the rapid expansion of Lahore towards the Wagah border and Sheikhupura sides, and they went on to say that housing societies were even being built on farmland.
He further emphasized the significance of constructing tall buildings in areas that are less vulnerable to earthquakes in order to preserve land. The way we handle the generations to come is crucial. According to Justice Afghan, there’s no need to construct six-kanal houses because the flat culture should be encouraged.
Environmental pollution, according to Justice Jamal Mandokhel, affects the entire nation, not only Islamabad. The chief contributor to this problem is car smoke. With an eye toward the escalating crisis in Punjab and Islamabad, he said, “Is there an attempt to stop the smoke emission from vehicles?”
He stressed the need of provinces working together as one if they wanted to see results.
The Islamabad Environmental Agency has stated that everything is fine, and according to its report for 2021, all steel factories are following standard operating procedures, which Justice Mazhar cited. “Can we expect the institutions to function unless the court maintains its demand for reports?”
Attention, Justice Mandokhel said, should be given to the fact that pollution is being caused by gasoline adulteration. To ensure the Climate Change Authority is successful, Justice Mazhar questioned why the chairman’s seat is unfilled and emphasized the significance of selecting a leader.
A focus on action rather than red tape was what Justice Aminuddin Khan was after. The court then directed all provinces to submit detailed reports on pollution control efforts within three weeks.
Justice Aminuddin Khan indicated that the case could be concluded should the forthcoming reports provide sufficient insight and evidence of practical steps being taken to tackle environmental pollution across Pakistan.
The cause list for Nov 14 and 15 shows that the six-member constitutional bench will hear approximately 34 cases. This marks the first hearing for the newly formed bench, established under the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
The bench is scheduled to review 18 cases on Thursday, with the remaining 16 cases set for Friday. Alongside Justice Aminuddin, the bench includes Justice Mandokhel, Justice Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Hilali and Justice Afghan.
Due to Justice Ayesha A Malik’s unavailability on Nov 14 and 15, a relevant committee decided to form a bench of all available judges to address the cases on these dates.