Peshawar:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced the cancellation of all lease agreements related to gold mining in the province.
According to Radio Pakistan, the announcement was made during a news conference in Peshawar, where Governor Kundi was joined by Advisor on Minerals, Dr. Sarfaraz Ali.
Governor Kundi highlighted that illegal mining activities in the province had previously led to significant losses for the national exchequer and had adversely impacted the environment. He emphasized that future utilization of the province's mineral resources would adhere to legal procedures.
It was revealed that approximately eighty percent of the earnings from illegal mining operations were being diverted to Afghanistan. Additionally, a Khwarji commander was reportedly extorting substantial sums, amounting to eight hundred thousand rupees from local miners and up to four million rupees from non-local miners.