MOHMAND: The Upper Mohmand administration has ordered immediate dissolution of all self-constituted committees operating at marble mining sites across the subdivision, citing the Peshawar High Court’s ruling and provisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2017.
According to an official notification issued on July 16, the decision followed multiple complaints from mineral-bearing landowners and tribesmen regarding the conduct, authority and functioning of the committees.
The administration said the bodies, initially formed to facilitate dispute resolution between leaseholders and local tribes, had in many cases failed to fulfil their intended purpose and had instead become a source of internal disputes and dissatisfaction within the community.
The notification stated that several petitions challenging the committees’ authority were pending before the administration, while their continued existence was hindering fair and expeditious resolution of mining-related disputes.
District admin says mining disputes to be resolved publicly
Referring to Schedule VIII of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2017 (as amended in 2019), the administration said that the law recognises collective consent of ‘qaum’ through a meeting, rather than self-constituted committees, for consultation and decision-making on matters relating to mineral resources.
The order also cited Peshawar High Court’s judgment in Juma Khan and others versus Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and others, delivered on April 15, 2026, which held self-appointed committees cannot substitute the collective will of the community and that district authorities are empowered to withdraw recognition from such bodies when they become a source of discord.
When contacted, assistant commissioner Upper Mohmand Sikandar Afzaal confirmed the development, saying the district administration would soon convene a meeting of the tribes concerned to resolve all outstanding marble mining disputes through mutual consultation and consensus, in accordance with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act.
The notification clarified that agreements already executed with leaseholders through the consent or majority approval of the concerned tribes would remain valid and legally binding.
The order came into force with immediate effect and applies to all self-styled committees regardless of their name or designation.
Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2026
