Karoonjhar dispute sparks lawyers' protest

In a high-stakes case over the future of the Karoonjhar Hills, the President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Barrister Sarfaraz Metlo, has announced a protest rally ahead of a critical court hearing scheduled for November 26. The case concerns the Sindh government’s appeal at the federal level against SHC order that had barred mineral extraction in the region.

Metlo said, the rally will be taken out from the SHC building and proceed to the Chief Minister’s House, where demonstrators will present their demands. He said they will ask the Sindh government to withdraw its appeal and stress the need to protect Karoonjhar’s heritage.

The controversy stems from a landmark ruling by the SHC’s Hyderabad circuit bench, which declared the entire Karoonjhar mountain range a protected heritage site and prohibited any mining or excavation, except for regulated archaeological work.

The court ruled that the Mines and Minerals Department did not have jurisdiction over the hills and that allowing extraction in any part of the range would damage its landscape. The bench also directed the Forest and Wildlife Department to restore the sanctuary for native wildlife, maintain plantation records for each hill, and submit periodic reports.

Despite this, the Sindh government later approved a plan that designated Karoonjhar as a cultural and heritage site, while simultaneously clearing a nearby area for granite mining, subject to environmental review. Legal critics have argued that this move undermines the spirit of the High Court’s protection order because the surrounding area is geographically and culturally linked to the Karoonjhar range.

The upcoming hearing on November 26 in the Federal Constitutional Court could determine whether the Sindh government’s appeal succeeds in challenging the High Court’s protective ruling. Metlo’s rally appears timed to build pressure as the matter reaches a critical stage. Activists plan to demand the withdrawal of the appeal, formal recognition of Karoonjhar as a protected heritage range, strict enforcement against mining, and restoration of cultural and ecological sites.

The Karoonjhar Hills are considered historically and culturally significant and are geologically ancient, with formations dating back to the Achaean period (the term most commonly refers to the Archean time). They are part of the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary and support native fauna and flora, making their preservation important for both heritage and environmental reasons. The High Court also stressed the need to preserve ancient religious and archaeological structures in the area, including old temples and statues.

Read: SHC bars mining on Karoonjhar Hills

The range includes numerous historic sites, including ancient Jain temples near Nagarparkar, which date back to the 12th–15th centuries. These temples had once been important pilgrimage points, and their architecture and frescoes are an integral part of Sindh’s historic heritage.

Geologically, the Karoonjhar range is rich in minerals, including granite, limestone, chromite, gypsum, and kaolin, making it economically attractive. However, for the local Thari communities, its economic value also lies in the medicinal plants that grow there, such as wild onion and shatavari, and in the tourism potential of its scenic, historic landscape.

Under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994, the SHC declared the entire Karoonjhar range as a 'protected heritage'. In its October 2023 ruling, the court said that the Mines & Minerals Department does not have jurisdiction over the hills and prohibited any excavation, except for archaeological work following international guidelines.

The legal tug-of-war over Karoonjhar picked up pace in 2021 when petitions were filed against permits for mining. In October 2023, a division bench of the SHC handed down a landmark judgement banning any mining or excavation in the hills, insisting the entire range be treated as one monument. By September 2024, the Mirpurkhas bench of the SHC reaffirmed the protected-heritage status, following a contempt petition challenging violations of the earlier order.

Karoonjhar forms part of the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary and host significant biodiversity despite the arid surroundings. The hills support a range of flora, over 80 species across many plant families and fauna such as Indian gazelle, desert hare, jackals, and foxes. The court has also tasked wildlife authorities with restoring flora and fauna and maintaining detailed plantation records for each hill.

If the Sindh government loses its appeal, the High Court’s mining ban could become more firmly established, paving the way for long-term conservation measures. If it succeeds, parts of the region could potentially be reopened for commercial activity, a move likely to face strong opposition from local communities and environmental advocates.