QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court’s environment protection tribunal on Monday heard a petition filed by former Balochistan Assembly speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani against a proposed coal-fired power plant in the Hub area of Lasbela district.

The tribunal, comprising its chairman Zafar Alam Mandokhel and member Saeed Ahmed Baloch, asked the Balochistan advocate general to submit the government’s reply in the matter by Feb 10.

Mr Bhootani appeared before the tribunal with his counsel and asked the court to stop work on the Hubco-Power project till the court announced its final verdict on the petition.

Later, while sharing details of the petition, Mr Bhootani said that he would not have gone to the extent of asking that the project be scrapped if the residents of villages living near the site of the project had gotten jobs.

He claimed that the company overseeing the project had done nothing for the welfare of people living in the area. He said the installation of a coal-based power plant would create serious environmental issues for the people living in the area as well as for marine life.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2018