QUETTA: Leaders of the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF) have called for urgent measures to protect the lives of mine workers, warning that despite generating billions of rupees in revenue, the mining sector continues to neglect workers’ health and safety.

In a joint statement, PCMLF Central Secretary General Sultan Muhammad Khan, along with union leaders Abdul Sattar and Abdul Halim Khan, said that due to the contractor system, labour safety laws are largely ignored in the mining sector.

They noted that mine collapses and gas emissions remain common, resulting in the deaths of around 150 mine workers and leaving more than 1,000 others disabled in coal mines across Pakistan last year.

The leaders added that accidents have recently increased in Khyber Pakht­unkhwa due to the poor performance of mine department staff.

According to a press release, Mr Khan urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of coal miners.

He demanded the abolition of the contractor system and stressed that mine inspections must be carried out using modern machinery to help prevent accidents.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2026