Residents move court against cement factory construction

PESHAWAR: Residents of Palai area in Malakand district have moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against construction of a cement factory.

Muhammad Saleem and others of Palai area filed an application in the Human Rights Cell of the PHC against the construction.

PHC Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on Thursday converted the application into a petition and fixed it for hearing before a division bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Ikramullah Khan.

The residents stated in the application that several cement factories were available in their village but now the provincial government had imposed Section 4 on the village lands for construction of Facto Cement Factory. They feared the factory would increase the pollution and deprive poor villagers of their valuable lands which were the only source of income for them. The applicants requested the high court to take notice of the issue and stop construction of the new cement factory in the lush green natural area. Palai is known for production of fruits, especially orange.

Ali Gohar Advocate appeared for the residents in the court. However, the court transferred the case to other bench as Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan belonged to the Malakand district.

The residents said the government had imposed Section 4 on 400 acres land of the villagers for the factory. It said due to construction of the factory, about 150,000 trees of oranges would be cut, 80,000 of peach, and 60,000 trees of other fruits will be removed.