PESHAWAR(National Times)- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced the cancellation of gold mining leases across the province and ordered an immediate halt to all gold mining activities.
Addressing a press conference alongside other officials, Kundi said he had attended an important conference in Islamabad two days ago, adding that there was no room for defeat in the fight against terrorism in the province.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s resources had been plundered over the past 13 years, a situation that was widely known.
The governor said establishing peace in the province was the top priority, adding that mineral resources were held in trust for the people and no one would be allowed to exploit them unlawfully.
He stressed that the province had vast mineral reserves that needed protection and warned that action would be taken against anyone involved in depriving the province of its rights. He added that a system of accountability would now be established.
Kundi revealed that 8,350 tractors, 3,660 excavators and 1,600 dumpers were being used in two mining blocks in Kohat. He alleged that 80 per cent of the proceeds from illegal mining were being transferred to Afghanistan, while up to nine kilogrammes of gold were being extracted every month.
He further claimed that militant commanders were collecting extortion money of Rs800,000 from local residents and up to Rs4 million from people coming from outside the area.
He also said that Fitna al-Khawarij had attacked police personnel during an operation against illegal mining.
The governor said a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy would be adopted against elements involved in the killing of security personnel in the past. He added that checks would be tightened to prevent illegal mining and the unlawful transportation of mineral resources.
Kundi claimed that 12 politicians were involved in illegal activities and also accused Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s brother of being involved in the activities, stressing the need to prevent such practices and take action against those responsible.
He announced that a task force would be established in the name of martyred DSP Haider Zaman. He warned that action would be taken against those who failed to remove their machinery within a week.
“All gold mining activities are being suspended from today. Contractors should remove their machinery or face strict action. If we do not fix the system, we cannot fix the province,” he said.
The governor also named Aftab Alam, Shehryar Afridi, Khurram Zeeshan and Sajid Iqbal as allegedly being involved in illegal mining. He further named Ehsan Lachi, Amjad Afridi and Seth Saifullah among those he accused of involvement in criminal activities.
Kundi claimed that up to 90 kilogrammes of gold were being extracted every month, adding that various measures were being taken following the imposition of an emergency.
