MITHI: Taking notice of massive protest of people of the Parkar region and public outcry in media against illegal extraction of precious granite from famous Karoonjhar hills, authorities in the Sindh government have directed the DC of Thar and SSP of Thar to ensure registration of an FIR against those found involved in the illegal act.
Speaking to Dawn on Wednesday, PPP MPA from Nagarparkar Qasim Siraj Soomro said that Sindh Minister for Mines and Minerals Nawab Shabbir Ahmed Bijarani on his request had asked the director of his department to issue directives to the DC and the SSP of Tharparkar district to ask the SHO of the Nagarparkar police station to register an FIR against those found involved in extraction of granite from Karoonjhar hills.
The steps were taken after news was published in the media regarding protest of local people and rights activists, members of civil society and workers of various political parties against illegal extraction of granite from the hills.
Mr Soomro said that a letter was written by the director general of mines and minerals in the light of a report submitted by the local assistant director of the department regarding illegal extraction of granite by some people.
Zulfikar Ali Khoso, Allah Rakhio Khoso, Dileep Parmar and other local residents of the hilly town reached the police station and filed a joint application to register an FIR against those involved in the extraction.
Speaking to Dawn, the residents said that the SHO was not there but other officials had received their application and asked them to wait for the actions.
However, SSP Tharparkar Abdullah Ahmedyar, when contacted told this writer that the area police would register an FIR only when the officials of the revenue or the mines and minerals departments would approach the area police with a complaint against those involved in the practice of extraction.
He made it clear that no FIR would be registered on the complaint of the local people, who had filed the application.
Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019
