ISLAMABAD - Expressing displeasure over non-compliance of its earlier order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all provinces to submit detailed reports on measures taken to control respiratory diseases caused by dust-spewing stone crushing units.
In pursuance of the court’s earlier order, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan Secretary Sarwar Khan submitted a report in the apex court making the point that certain information was yet to be provided by the provinces on the subject.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heading a three-member bench, took up the suo moto case regarding the death of 18 stone-crushing labourers in Gujranwala in 2013.
The court directed the law secretary to convene a meeting of advocates general of all provinces as well as representatives of provincial health departments and after coordinating with them for the provision of the said information, compile a joint report and submit the same to the court within three weeks.
Justice Nisar said that if the detail reports were not submitted at the next hearing, the court would summon chief secretaries of the provinces.
The chief justice noted that pollution caused by stone crushing units was a serious issue as it had a direct impact on the health of labourers. He said that the provincial governments were paying no heed to the health and safety of the labourers working in the stone crushing units.
Deputy Advocate General Balochistan said that around 10,286 labourers and 25,000 families were registered with the provincial government.
Additional Advocate General Aysha Hamid told the court that new laws have been framed and a survey for the welfare of the labourers was being conducted, which would be completed in June. Additional Advocate General Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa Muhammad Waqar told the court that a large number of stone crushing industries existed in the province, however, some of them had been closed down. He said due to the closure of these units, it was almost impossible to collect the exact data about the labour force.
The court also directed to collect and submit a data about patients suffering from silicosis — a respiratory disease caused by inhaling the dust. The case is adjourned for three weeks.
