ISLAMABAD    -  US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Commander Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan General Austin Scott Miller called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ on Monday.

“Matters of mutual interest including overall regional security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afghan reconciliation process were discussed during the meeting,” says a press statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate.

COAS appreciated role of RSM for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan Army’s media wing said. Also, COAS assured that Pakistan would continue to play its positive role for peace and stability in the region.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s untiring efforts for facilitating the process to achieve the mutual objective of peace in the region.

A five-member larger SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and comprised Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard the case regarding the environmental pollution. During the course of proceedings, the CJP said if the court allowed crushing from one side, the entire Margalla Hills would be crushed. It was a matter of great concern as crushed Margalla Hills could be witnessed while travelling on the motorway, he added.

The chief justice said first the hill was made barren by cutting down the trees and now it itself was being crushed. If such things continued, the country’s environment would be destroyed, he added.

He said the court ordered to stop hills’ crushing in the larger national interest.

Advocate Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for private stone crushers, said the best limestone material for the construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road was available on the Margalla Hill and it was in the national interest to allow the extraction of stones from here.

Addressing the counsel, the CJP observed he (Aitzaz) was talking about the financial interests of the crusher and not the nation as the desired stones could be obtained from far away places.

He said if the crushers were allowed to break the mountain, they would also crush the K2 peak. “We have to protect our national assets” as the whole world was working for protection of environment, he stressed.

Aitzaz said minerals were national assets and “we have to take benefits from them”.

The chief justice said the Margalla Hills were a national asset, so its protection was ordered.

The counsel said it was like stopping a fisherman from fishing. Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said fishermen were not barred from fishing because it could reproduce, a mountain once broken, could not be built again.

Aitzaz said as soon as the SC ordered, the government blocked the whole area, and the machinery and goods also got stuck there.

The court allowed the crushers to take their machinery and rejected the crushing application. It also dismissed all petitions against the crushing ban on Margalla Hills.

The chief justice said the people’s right to live could not be disturbed. Whether the crushers wanted the National Park to finish. The apex court had taken up the task of saving Margalla Hills, he added.

During the hearing, the court also expressed annoyance over the transfer of powers from the Metropolitan Islamabad to the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The court immediately summoned the acting mayor of Islamabad.

The Commissioner Islamabad informed the court that the CDA had been temporarily given five powers, including street lights maintenance and roads construction.

The chief justice said taking power from the Mayor of Islamabad was unconstitutional.

The Chief Commissioner said five institutions were handed over to the CDA by the Mayor of Islamabad.

The CJP said the powers of local governments were a matter of fundamental rights. Laws were made for implementation, he added.

He said the court would not allow the government to intervene in the matter of basic rights.

The Chief Commissioner said that Rules of Business of Metropolitan Islamabad had been prepared and sent to the Cabinet for approval.

The court ordered issued notification of Islamabad Metropolitan Business Rules within a week.

Acting Mayor Islamabad Azam Khan also appeared before the bench.

The CJP asked the Mayor that he had no interest in Islamabad affairs as he given all the powers to the CDA. He also asked about the construction of public toilets in Islamabad.

The Chief Commissioner replied that 100 public toilets were being built in Islamabad.

The chief justice said that 100 public toilets were less for Islamabad. Public toilets should be built after every kilometer of a road, he added.

The Chief Commissioner said they had built 10 toilets out of 100 and the remaining would be constructed soon.

The chief justice asked the Commissioner to construct 500 public toilets.

He said that there was a parking area on Service Road in the Blue Area. Parking near the road should not be allowed, he added.

The Chief Commissioner said he would inform the Inspector General Islamabad about the court’s direction.

The CJP said there was no parking area in shopping malls and markets in Islamabad.

He asked the commissioner to close shopping malls or asked them to make parking areas. There was no parking areas in new buildings being built in the Blue Area, he added.

The Chief Commissioner said that the district administration had asked the owners of all new buildings to build their own parking lots. The administration was hiring experts to solve parking problems in the capital.

Later, the case was adjourned till date in office.