Illegal mining

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Minister for mineral development Dr. Amjad Ali has warned to take strict measures to prevent illegal mining. He also underscored greater transparency in the award of mining contracts, while leasing out mining right to contractors. Illegal mining has become a well entrenched activity under the political patronage and collusion of officials of mineral department. Colossal pilferage is the order of the day in mining of gemstones. Previously, it was the Gemstones Corporation of the federal government                                             which ignored the flourishing business of illegal mining of precious stones.

The mining sector is now entirely a provincial subject but the scourge of illegal mining is yet to be rooted out despite the announcement of a comprehensive mineral policy in 2016. In this policy not only transparency in the award of lease licenses to mining contractors was emphasised but the application of modern mining technology was also made mandatory. But no substantive changes have been witnessed in these two matters. Illegal mining of raw gem and its sale in local market is going on. Mining in marble mines is still done by using the primitive method of gunpowder blasting which results in substantial waste of marble stones. What is the utility of a mineral policy the clauses of which are not made legally binding on mining contractors. The mineral resources will benefit the economy of the province only when the primitive methods of mining are banned, transparency ensured in the award of mining contracts and political umbrella on illegal mining is wrapped up.