KOHAT: New coal reserves found in the semi-autonomous Darra Adamkhel have made the tribesmen millionaires overnight. Also, the local tribesmen have recovered most of their coalmines let out to aliens by Taliban after decade of jirgas and decisions given by the FATA tribunal by settling their disputes over collective mountains.

Deputy commissioner, Kohat, and political agent of its Frontier Region, Kamal Khan Khattak, commenting on the development said that they had strict orders by the army’s sector commander that work on any mine should not stop in case of dispute because it would render many people jobless.

“So we decide any such case according to the FCR side by side running of the work on all mines which are approximately 170. Many are producing coal while digging on other potential sites is in progress,” he said.

Misal Khan Afridi and leaseholder Saleem Khan Afridi told this scribe that during TTP hold they had sold out the mines to their partners from as far as Waziristan and received Rs1,000 per truck as tax. Answering a question, he said that now there were legally at least four leaseholders who had further given contracts of excavation to the tribesmen.

Jasim Khan Afridi admitted that under the rule the leaseholder had to dig the mine, but they had given contracts as it was not possible for each leaseholder to own and work on dozens of mines which fell under his control.

“After handing over mines to the six tribes of the mountain by the Fata tribunal in Zarghunkhel area on Tuesday last they have asked the earlier illegal excavators to pay them the outstanding amount running into millions in installments,” said Misal Khan. He said that they were paying Rs1,500 tax per truck regularly to the political administration.

Saleem Khan told this scribe that the coal was first discovered in 1998 when some tribesmen jointly started digging a mine in Sanikhel area. He said that they later called in expert miners from Swat marble industry and offered them good salaries. The machinery, including lifts for carrying labourers and conveyer belts, were bought from Peshawar market.

The coal was found first at the depth of 300 feet in 2003. Now there were mines where coal had been discovered at a depth of 2,000 feet which demanded heavy investment to excavate. Haji Misal Khan, who leads a tripartite group of mountain owners in Zarghunkhel tribal area, said that signs of big coal reservoir had appeared in his mine. He said that an expert miner working with him had told him that coal would appear within two days.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2017