PESHAWAR: The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not lift ban on mining activities and renewal and issuance of mining licences. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines Owners Association threatened to stage a sit-in in front of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Islamabad if the provincial government failed to lift ban.
“The ban imposed by the provincial government since its inception in 2013 has rendered thousands of workers and mine owners jobless,” said Sherbandi Khan Marwat, provincial president of the association, while speaking at a gathering of mine owners from across Hazara here.
Provincial secretary general Abdul Jalil Khan and member executive committee Tahir Mehood also spoke on the occasion. The participants of the meeting denounced the KP government for the imposition of ban on mining activities in the province for the last one and a half years.
“We have been looking towards the government that it would lift the ban on mining activities and issuance and renewal of licences, but the government seems least bothered to address our concerns. Now we would start protests for our rights,” said Mr Marwat.
Mr Mehsood said that earlier the government had announced that it would prepare and announce a policy to regulate mining activities in the province, but now it was using delaying tactics, which had been causing losses to them. They urged Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to take notice of the situation and announce lifting of the ban on mining activities.
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