SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Tribal elders from South Waziristan’s Spin area in tehsil Wana have raised objections to a coal mining tender issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mineral department, demanding its immediate cancellation, citing ownership disputes and lack of consultation with local stakeholders.

Speaking to Dawn the other day, Malik Muhammad Ullah of the Koli Khel tribe and Malik Kamil Khan of the Gulan Khel tribe said the tender, scheduled for June 17, pertains to the coal-rich area of Shana Khowara, where no formal distribution of ownership has yet been undertaken.

According to the elders, the land in question is the collective property of the Utman Khel

Wazir tribe, which includes Koli Khel, Gulan Khel, and other sub-clans.

They argued that proceeding with the tender without taking all rightful stakeholders into confidence is not only unjust but also a violation of tribal customs and participatory governance.

“This land is jointly owned by our tribes. Leasing it out without our consultation is unacceptable,” said Malik Muhammad Ullah.

“Such unilateral decisions are against tribal traditions and risk fuelling inter-tribal conflict,” added Malik Kamil Khan.

The elders alleged that the leasing process lacked transparency and tribal consensus, potentially destabilizing the already fragile peace in the region.

They called upon the provincial government, Chief Secretary KP, Additional Chief

Secretary, and the Director General Minerals department to immediately intervene and halt what they termed an “unlawful and unilateral” move.

They warned that if their concerns remained unaddressed, they would be compelled to seek legal and constitutional remedies to safeguard their rights.

“We will defend our legitimate tribal rights through every lawful means.

No party will be allowed to exploit our shared resources or jeopardize our collective interests,” they said.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2025