Police book Marble Association members, others in Mardan

MARDAN: The police have registered three separate cases against office-bearers of the Marble Association for allegedly stopping officials of Minerals Department from collecting royalty tax in Chura area. Falak Zaman Khan, assistant director minerals, and Mamnoon Khan, royalty inspector, told the police that the provincial government had issued new royalty tax schedule in the province, which is also implemented in DI Khan, Kohat and Bannu. They added that they along with other staff of the department were following the schedule and collecting royalty tax from the tractors on Bakhshali Road when Shaukat Khan, the association president, Sajjad Khan, Gul Rehman, Jamaluddin, Sherzada, Ismail, Mohammad Diyar, Bacha Khan and Farhad Khan stopped them from collecting the royalty tax.
They told police that the accused had also threatened them with dire consequences. The police arrested Shaukat, Gul Rehman, Jamaluddin, Farhad and Sajjad Khan and registered a case against them.