ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Monday said the government is not implementing its orders regarding stone crushing.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali when resumed hearing in the stone crushing on Margalla Hills case, the KP law officer was not present in the courtroom. The bench, therefore, summoned chief secretary KP today (Tuesday).

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has expressed inability to take action against stone crushing, which is continued on private land. Additional Advocate General KP has submitted a compliance report in suo motu case about the continued quarrying and cutting down of trees on the Margalla Hills.

The report tells that only Lora falls in KP territory. In Lora area, the land to quarrying for stone crush is purely private property and is not part of any type of classified forest. The KP Forest department has no control on private lands under the given agreements. It said in case of any decision by the court regarding banning stone quarrying from private areas, the police department would be required to enforce.

The report says prescribed safeguards, any quarrying from sloppy wastelands is hazardous to environment, adding that it not only renders the land unfit for any vegetation rather further triggers land sliding.

The report also informed that in the light of the apex court, the chief inspector of Mines Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed the inspector Mines Abbottababd to stop indiscrimination /dangerous blasting till further orders so that the same could be brought into safe, acceptable and practical limits by the lessees and to avoid any possible danger to the lives and property of the public.

The KP government has also submitted that it has already taken cognizance of adverse implications of quarrying for environment and incumbent regime has not only refused to entertain mining lease requests in classified forests but has cancelled all such leases, which were granted by previous government. However, the aggrieved parties approached the Peshawar High Court and succeeded in obtaining status quo against the government orders and cases are still pending.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab told the court that the mining, crushing and stone blasting activities being carried out on the Margalla Hills are illegal.

In a report submitted before the Supreme Court said its district officer (Environment) Rawalpindi has reported that 53 stone crushing units were operating on the Margalla Hills against which 53 references have been initiated.