WORLD NEWS | Pakistan: No action against illegal miners in Swabi

Islamabad [Pakistan]March 20 (ANI): Illegal mining has been going on in Swabi for some time, but regional mining sector authorities appear least interested in taking action against those involved, News International cites sources as saying.

The contractor awarded the lease did not make the required payments to the government, leading to the cancellation of the agreement. As a result, no one owns the mining contracts, and the regional administration is preparing to announce new leases.

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In the Saleem Khan Khwar area, contractors regularly remove sand and gravel from the area without any fear, according to locals quoted by the International News Agency.

According to local resident Qamar Zaman, excavators and tractor trolleys were collecting sand and gravel from the Saleem Khan Khwar area as contractors’ personnel continued to charge locals as they had done before.

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Similarly, individuals illegally remove sand and gravel from Maneri and other areas, while also bribing influential individuals.

It turned out that the officials tasked with stopping the illegal mining had instead robbed them of their money, pretending to be bystanders, and causing significant damage to the provincial treasury and residents of the area.

When contacted by International News, a senior member of the area’s minerals department responded that he would go to the site to assess the problem and take appropriate action, adding that no one was allowed to remove sand from anywhere in the area and gravel.

However, he also claimed that there were not enough staff to focus on illegal mining across the region and that whenever residents complained, they took action in response.

When contacted, Swabi Deputy Commissioner Furqan Ashraf promised to investigate the situation and issue orders to those responsible for the illegal mining, according to international news reports. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)