MANSEHRA, May 15: The Mine Owners Association of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday threatened to agitate if the government failed to withdraw or rationalise the excessive mine leasing tax.

Member of the association’s executive body Tahir Khattak told a news conference here that the government increased the mine leasing tax from Rs25,000 to Rs400,000 without justification and therefore, the increase should either be withdrawn or rationalised.

He said under the law, the said tax could be increased only after a nod by the provincial assembly.

Mr Khattak said the inflated tax had left the mining business on the verge of complete collapse in the province.

“Since the levying of the mine leasing tax, those associated with mineral business have been suffering huge losses. Many of them have switched over to other businesses,” he said.

The association’s member said mine owners and workers would begin agitation in case of any delays in withdrawal or rationalisation of the excessive mine leasing tax.

Meanwhile, a man on Monday night kidnapped his wife at gunpoint from her father’s house after she moved a local court for dissolution of marriage.

Dr Mohammad Zamir told police that three armed men, including his son-in-law, Mohammad Bilal, entered his house in Upper Chania area and tied him and watchman with the bed by ropes before taking away his daughter along with cash, gold ornaments, a pistol and a vehicle.

He said his daughter had filed a case with the court for dissolution of marriage after finding her husband guilty of a fraud.

Police said the accused remained in police custody last month for cheating people by declaring himself son of former chief minister Sardar Mehtab Abbasi. They registered a case against Mr Bilal and began investigation.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Khyber on Monday opened another Raast Islamic Banking branch in Mansehra.

BOK managing director Bilal Mustafa inaugurated the branch by cutting the ribbon and said the bank was committed to befittingly catering to Islamic banking requirements of account holders to encourage economic developmental activities in the region.He said Raast Islamic Banking had enhanced friendly networking in almost all major cities in the country and that it would further be expended through establishment of more branches by end of the ongoing year.

“We have made a strategy to expand Islamic banking network in the country. By the end of the current year, we’ll cover the remaining cities and areas of the country,” he said.

Mr Mustafa said his bank had been offering Islamic banking services at its countrywide branches since 2003.

The function was also attended by former BOK chief Bashir Khan, local notables and businessmen.