Action sought against company for illegal mining in Chitral

CHITRAL: The office-bearers of the Frontier Mine Owners Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday asked the provincial government, higher judiciary and other stakeholders to take strict action against a foreign company allegedly involved in illegal mining in Chitral.

Speaking at a press conference at the Chitral Press Club, the association’s information secretary, Mohiuddin Sani along with members Iqbal Murad, Zafaruddin, president of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Huqooq-e-Chitrali Naeem Anjum, and others alleged that a foreign company had been involved in illegal mining in Chitral.

They said that for the past two and a half years, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) had been allocating 15 mineral blocks in Chitral for various investors, intending to bring in reputable businessmen.

However, they alleged that instead of inviting credible international investors, arrangements were being made to hand over two large mineral blocks spanning hundreds of thousands of acres to a blacklisted and defaulting company, which has previously been involved in illegal mining and smuggling of 1,500 tonnes of antimony.

The office-bearers revealed that the company was already facing cases of corruption worth Rs350 million filed by National Accountability Bureau and Anti-Corruption authorities, which are still under trial.

Mohiuddin Sani further alleged that with the backing and personal interests of some SIFC officials, the same blacklisted company was being reintroduced as an investor. He said that while lease applications ranging from 50 to 500 acres submitted by local residents had been pending for the past four years, efforts were being made to favour a blacklisted company.