MOHMAND: Tribal elders from Safi Qandari tehsil have demanded an immediate halt to all mining activities at Gharai marble site and suspending marble supply until a longstanding dispute over a mountain is resolved.

They made the demand during a news conference at the Mohmand Press Club here on Friday.

Elders Gula Khan, Zahir Shah, Noor Bacha, Kitab Haji, Malik Waris Khan, Sher Afzal, Syed Gulab, Zain Shah, Afzal Khan, and Hazrat Mola said the disputed mountain was jointly owned by three tribes — Azad Kor, Wali Kor, and Bezad Kor — and that the mineral resources belonged collectively to all the tribes.

They said dispute over the mountain had been ongoing for the past 25 years. They warned that unless a just and mutually agreed division was carried out, all mining and related activities must be stopped immediately, as continuation of work could lead to bloodshed.

The elders urged the leaseholder to refrain from continuing any operations until the division of the mountain was completed. They also accused certain groups of making illegal claims over the entire mountain.

They appealed to the district administration to intervene immediately and impose a ban on all activities at the site until a fair and permanent resolution of the dispute was achieved.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Mohmand chapter has announced a district-wide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on Feb 8 (Sunday), calling on the general public, traders, and transporters to fully support and make the protest successful. The announcement was made during a press conference on Friday.

PTI Mohmand president and chairman Lower Mohmand Malik Naveed Ahmad, information secretary Malik Jahanzeb, general secretary Jamdad Khan, and others alleged that on Feb 8, 2024, PTI’s mandate was stolen through a pre-planned scheme, and power was transferred to a party that won only 17 seats, while PTI’s majority was turned into a minority.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026