PESHAWAR: Giving vent to the sheer anger and disappointment against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines Owners Association threatened to stage a sit-in in front of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence in Islamabad if his party-led the provincial government does lift a ban from mining activities and renewal and issuance of mining licences.
Addressing a gathering of mine owners from across Hazara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines Owners Association (KPMOA) provincial president Sherbandi Khan Marwat informed that the PTI-led government imposed a ban on mining activities when it came to power 2013, rendering thousands of workers and mine owners jobless.
KPMOA 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.
