PESHAWAR: Owners of coal mines in Darra Adamkhel have demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to take action against all those involved in illegal digging and provide protection to the real owners.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for provision of protection the dwellers of seven villages of Darra Adamkhel held a demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club on Saturday.

Talking to media persons, an elder Ayaz Khan said that the coal mines were owned by people of seven villages, including Germani Kallay, Rahim Kallay, Alam Khan Kallay, Sada Gul Kallay, Feroz Mela, Thandi Kallay and Babozi Kallay, but an influential group of 12 people had occupied the mines for the past seven years.

He said that Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan had stopped illegal mining across Fata and ordered giving the mines on proper lease. He said that the new lease-holder in Darra was Malik Saleem Afridi, but he could not carry out the production because the mafia was creating problems for the truckers and other workers.

“The production work has been stopped for the past about two months despite the fact that Malik Saleem Afridi has legal lease till 2023,” he said and added that the influential people were sending threats to the real lease-holder.

Mr Ayaz said that some of the mine owners were very poor and if the production did not start it would create difficulties for them. He said that those who continued production for the past seven years did not pay taxes to the government.

“Now the government’s writ has been restored in the semi-tribal region of Darra Adamkhel and it is duty of the relevant officials to take action against all those involved in illegal digging and give rights to the real owners,” Mr Ayaz said.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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