TMU Law & Business Grad Using CSR & Law Skills in David v. Goliath Courtroom Victory

Hashim Jadoon (external link) , a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bachelor of Commerce (Law Major) graduate who went on to obtain his law degree at the University of London (affiliate campus), has been using his corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the law skills to good effect in recent David v. Goliath courtroom victories in Pakistan. 

In a November, 2025 TMU Alumni write-up, Jadoon credits much of his success to the quality of education he received at TMU, particularly at the Ted Rogers School of Management. “They gave me a framework for approaching problems logically as well as a deep understanding of how to apply critical thinking,” Jadoon says. “It gave me a very big competitive advantage, especially in terms of law, because my peers in Pakistan were not trained in the same way,” he continued. 

Jadoon lives in the Pakistan village of Ghumawan with his extended family, who are (in his words) “...mostly underprivileged and unaware of their constitutional rights... and... unaware of the royalties that mine operators owe them for running quarries on communal lands.” Jadoon became concerned about the toxic dust emanating from the limestone quarries and associated crushing operations. “They’re developing health problems while the leaseholders, or miners, derive all the financial benefits,” Jadoon is reported as saying.

In 2022, Jadoon initiated legal actions on behalf of the community, beginning with Environmental Protection Tribunal proceedings that resulted in an injunction against the leaseholder, who was operating roughly a dozen crushers. The leaseholder appealed to the High Court which, in a ruling released this year, ordered the shuttering of close to 900 “crush plants” across the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The court also summoned the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency to appear before it in person.

While undoubtedly a precedent-setting victory for the health and environment of countless communities in Pakistan, the Court’s decision also had the effect of marking Jadoon as an environmental and human rights defender. Being a defender is widely regarded as a badge of honour and courage, but it is also associated with heightened vulnerability to reprisals. According to Global Witness (external link) , there were 146 documented cases of defenders killed or “disappeared” in 2024. In Jadoon’s case, the High Court itself is reported to have expressed concern for his safety: “You should take care of yourself. It seems like you’re taking on this entire mining mafia.”

Although the setting in this instance is Pakistan, variations on this “community–company” dynamic play out regularly around the world, with widely differing outcomes. Are there solutions—such as Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs)—that could reduce the likelihood of escalation or forestall conflict entirely? Or are IBAs themselves problematic? What about legislated IBAs? Can courts, government agencies, and laws be relied on? What happens when corruption is present and the rule of law is weak? And how can environmental and human rights defenders be protected? These and related questions will be explored in a December 9, 2025 TMU CSR Institute "In Conversation" zoom session with Hashim (external link) .

Jadoon has indicated: "I want to study IBAs in detail and bring a solution through legislative change. The current dilemma is that although the law exists, its implementation is weak. The only deterrent against these miners is me -- and that is a problem. The deterrent shouldn't be one individual, it should be the law."

TMU Law and Business Professor Kernaghan Webb (who is also the Director of the TMU CSR Institute) adds: "It's very rewarding seeing students that we have taught finding their way in the world, drawing on skills and insights picked up during their time at TMU -- and when those students can employ these skills to potentially address significant societal issues -- that's especially gratifying.  I'm also appreciative of Hashim agreeing to share his insights with the broader global community via the CSR Institute zoom session. My hope is that more successes on behalf of Pakistan communities will be forthcoming for Hashim in the coming years -- and that there will be many more occasions (TMU CSR Institute and otherwise) for us to learn from his experiences.