QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said the province’s mineral resources are the collective property of its people and that no form of illegal activity in the sector will be tolerated.

CM Bugti said illegal mining was not only causing serious losses to the national and provincial exchequers, but also posing a grave challenge to the rule of law. The province was facing losses of billions of rupees every year due to the illegal practice, he pointed out.

He said that 47 illegal chromite mines were sealed during a joint operation by the district administration and law enforcement agencies in Pishin district. The action, he said, was practical evidence of the Balochistan government’s firm resolve to protect mineral resources and uphold the supremacy of law.

He said such unlawful activities had deprived the province of its true revenue potential and denied the people their legitimate rights. He announced that the provincial government was introducing a comprehensive and effective policy to completely eliminate illegal mining and reform the minerals sector.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2026