The double bench of Sindh High Court has directed the deputy commissioner Tharparkar to cancel all the leases of extraction and quarrying of the granite and gravel from Karoonjhar hills and arrest those in such practice. The divisional bench of Sindh High Court, Circuit Bench Hyderabad, comprising Justice Arshad Hussain Khan and Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui passed orders to DC Tharparkar on the petition filed by Advocate Shankar Meghar.
The double bench ordered DC Thar Lal Dino Mangi to cancel all leases issued to miners within 24 hours and ordered him to appear in court on Thursday with all required documents. The Justices also ordered the registration of the cases if anyone found involved in any kind of illegal activities in the beautiful hills. The Thari lawyer Shankar Meghwar in his petition pleaded that Karoonjhar hills, which have great religious, heritage and cultural significance should be protected and persevered by imposing the complete ban on any kind of extraction of the granite and gravel from any point of the hills across the Parkar region of Thar desert. He deplored the fact the despite the frequent orders passed by orders, the contractors as well as influential figures were using the stones from hills in the construction of the different schemes of small dams, roads and other structures in connivance with local authorities. The leaders of Karoonjhar Sujag Forum including Allah Rakhio Khoso, Zulfikar Ali Khoso, Ghulam Mustafa Dal, Sagar Khaskheli and others welcomed the orders of the double bench of Sindh High Court and added that all leases issued to miners since late 1980s be cancelled forthwith to save the beautiful hills from further destruction. They also thanked the tireless efforts of Advocate Shankar Meghwar for taking the sensitive issue to Sindh Court.
