SC seeks report from NHA over construction of proposed tunnel at Margalla Hills
The Supreme Court (SC) has sought a report from the National Highway Authority (NHA) over the construction of a proposed tunnel at Margalla Hills to connect the federal capital with Haripur.
The same court also issued notices to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments on functioning of illegal stone-crushing units in some areas bordering the two provinces.
During the course of hearing, Justice Jawad S Khawaja said that the court would protect its earlier verdict on the proposed tunnel, banning its construction.
On this, NHA counsel Muhammad Shakil assured the court that no work will be carried out on the proposed tunnel in violation of the court ruling. He said that the NHA had only proposed a tunnel at Margalla but no work on the tunnel had started.
Roedad Khan, one of the petitioners, told the court that though the SC delivered an important judgement in 2013, restraining NHA from carrying out work on the project, but the decision was not being implemented.
Meanwhile, residents of Margalla Hills told the court that though the court had issued orders for shutting down of stone-crushing units in the hilly area, owners of cement factories were harassing and threatening them. The residents through their counsel Nayyab Gardesi informed the court that some stone-crushing units were still functioning in the border areas of Punjab and KP.
The court also noted that a truck driver has brought to its notice that over 60 trucks supply crushed stones from the border areas of the two provinces. The court while issuing notices to both the provincial governments adjourned the hearing till May 13.
