A quiet village in Abbottabad has secured a monumental legal victory against destructive stone crush plants, thanks to the dedication of a young local lawyer. Hashim Jadoon, just shy of 30, returned to his home in Ghumawan after studying law abroad, wanting to contribute to his community. He found his purpose upon witnessing the environmental devastation: mountainsides half-eaten, waterways poisoned, and forests disappearing due to round-the-clock mining operations. Jadoon chose to fight, becoming the people’s lawyer in a case that would stretch for years.
The legal battle was an uphill struggle, marked by endless delays and legal maneuvering by the powerful plant owners. Jadoon’s persistence paid off as the case climbed the judicial ladder, culminating in a landmark Peshawar High Court judgment. The court ruled that no crush plant should operate until the government could preserve the landscape, a verdict bolstered by a precedent-setting Supreme Court ruling. The final decision in July 2025 confirmed that all mining leases were suspended due to a lack of mandatory environmental approvals.
This hard-won triumph, which protects Pakistan’s cherished mountains, stands as a testament to community resilience and the impact of one young lawyer’s decision to use his skills for his homeland. Jadoon’s journey from a London classroom to the courtrooms of Pakistan ensured that his quiet village of Ghumawan became a headline for environmental justice, not just a forgotten pin on a map
