SHANGLA: Speakers at a seminar here on Friday said that the government was responsible for the frequent deaths of miners in mine incidents as it had failed to implement the labour law.

They seminar held in Alpuri was called by Shangla Coal Mine Workers Association after the recent coal mine incident at Daula area of Orakzai district in which four miners were killed and 10 injured. They also showed their concern over dropping Bisham-Khwazakhela expressway project from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the federal government.

The association’s office-bearers and social activists, including Abid Yar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ali Bhash Khan and others, spoke on the occasion. Later, they led a protest demonstration by people from all parts of Shangla district against the growing mine incidents and dropping the expressway project from PSDP.

The participants of the seminar decided to call a multiparty conference on August 31 at the district bar room.

“We can’t bear to bring death bodies of our loved ones from coal mines in various parts of the country. The government should implement the labour law enacted last year for the workers’ safety and rights,” said Abid Yar.

He termed dropping of Bisham-Khwazakhela expressway from PSDP an injustice of the incumbent government.

Niaz Mohammad said workers’ safety was not ensured in different mines in the country. He said the expressway was part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project to link Malakand division’s district with Bisham.

Ali Bhash Khan said that they decided to hold a multiparty conference in Alpuri and give a clear message to the government on both the issues.

LOADED VEHICLES BANNED: The district administration has banned passage of loaded vehicles through two suspension bridges of Shangla for 30 days in view of bad condition of their wooden structures to avoid any untoward incident.

A notification issued by deputy commissioner Imran Hussain Ranjha said that planks of both Sasobay and Ranyal bridges got damaged when vehicles loaded with passengers or goods passed through them. The deputy commissioner told this correspondent that repair work on both the bridges would be started within a week.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2020