MANSEHRA: The mineral department took three men into custody here on Wednesday after foiling their attempt to smuggle a large quantity of granite to Punjab.

“We have seized hundreds of tons of granite illegally got from forests in the Darband and Oghi tehsils and being smuggled to Punjab in four trucks,” mineral inspector Amir Pervez told reporters.

He said the trucks were intercepted in the Neeltaila area of Oghi tehsil by a team led by him and comprising Inamul Haq, Ahsan Bakhtiar, Mohammad Waheed and Mohammad Arshad.

Mr Pervez said the detainees, including Munir Ahmad, Shaukat Waqas and Abdul Sattar, were booked under sections 56 and 86 of the Mineral Act, 2017.

“We have initiated a crackdown on the illegal mining of granite and other minerals across Mansehra and in other parts of Hazara division,” he said.

Mr Pervez said dense forests in Darband, Agroor, and Tanawal were rich in natural resources, making them a target for smugglers.

He said some influential residents had been harbouring smugglers in transporting minerals from Tanawal, Agroor, and Darband to Punjab and other parts of the country, and his department would also take strict action against them.

The official said deputy director Shahid Khan Bangash and assistant director Zulfiqar Khan were overseeing the crackdown.

“Our department is also conducting regular inspections of companies that have received formal approval through leases across Hazara division, to effectively combat the smuggling of minerals,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police department on Wednesday organised an interactive session with their personnel about techniques to manage workplace stress.

“Your better psychological health and communication skills should never be compromised by hectic duty hours. Keeping this point in mind, we’ve organised this training session to educate you about the ways to overcome stress at work,” district police officer Shafeeullah Khan Gandapur told participants of the session.

The police officials attended the event from across the district and learned techniques from psychologists to improve their psychological health.

Mr Gandapur said the programme was also meant to ensure good working relations between police and visitors to police stations.

Meanwhile, senior civil judge of Torghar district Nighat Bibi visited the newly-constructed judicial complex in Oghi tehsil here.

She was accompanied by a team from the communication and works department during the visit to rooms and other parts of the building.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2024