D.G. KHAN CEMENT COMPANY V. GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

This case study describes a decision by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on April 15, 2021, which upheld a Punjab provincial government notification banning the construction or expansion of cement plants in environmentally fragile "Negative Areas."

• The Supreme Court of Pakistan rejected a challenge by the D.G. Khan Cement Company, which had argued that a ban on new or expanded cement plants in "Negative Areas" violated the constitutional right to freedom of trade, business, and profession under Article 18 of Pakistan’s Constitution.
• The Court's reasoning was based on a consultant report indicating that cement plant expansion or construction could lead to other harmful environmental impacts and the further depletion of groundwater.
• The Court identified the government notification as a climate resilient measure consistent with the Constitution of Pakistan and the National Climate Change Policy, emphasizing the necessity of integrating climate change considerations into government decision-making, specifically regarding water resources.
• The judgment incorporated the precautionary principle and the concept of intergenerational justice, stating that courts must protect future generations from the effects of climate change by upholding climate justice.
• The decision is noted for its extensive reliance on international environmental declarations and principles, including the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 2016 IUCN World Declaration on the Environmental Rule of Law, and the 2018 Declaration presented at the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia.

APA

Natural Justice (2021). D.G. KHAN CEMENT COMPANY V. GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/D.G.-Khan-Cement-Company-v.-Government-of-Punjab.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. D.G. KHAN CEMENT COMPANY V. GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB. 2021. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/D.G.-Khan-Cement-Company-v.-Government-of-Punjab.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=D.G. KHAN CEMENT COMPANY V. GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB |date=December 2021 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/D.G.-Khan-Cement-Company-v.-Government-of-Punjab.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2021khan, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{D.G. KHAN CEMENT COMPANY V. GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/D.G.-Khan-Cement-Company-v.-Government-of-Punjab.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }