PTI continues illegal mining at Tangi Mines?

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in connivance with the KP government, has been carrying out mining of minerals worth billions of rupees from Tangi Mines.

The Tangi Mines scandal surfaced in 2015, but the KP government has neither cancelled the contract nor re-auctioned the mines. The contract for Tangi Mines is with Jalal Khattak, a relative of CM Parvez Khattak. 

When the Tangi Mines scandal surfaced, the KP Ehtesab Commission on July 9, 2015, arrested Minister for Mines Ziaullah Afridi and former DG Mines Liaquat and a secretary.  Rs03 billion reference was filed against Afridi, but he got relief from the court. Despite the scandal and court case, illegal mining continues at Tangi Mines, which have chromites, asbestos, nephsite, quartz, jade and stone metal. 

These minerals were exported to China and millions of rupees were earned. In Switzerland and South Africa such minerals make up for 75 percent of the budget.  Afridi told The News that if he was involved in corruption, why the KP government has not yet cancelled the contract. He said illegal mining is going on even today. 

Owner of mines, Arshad Bacha said that mines are in the name of his cousin Jalal Khattak, who lives in Dubai. He said no illegal mining is going on in his area.  Capt (r) Hamid Kamal, another candidate, said that illegal mining has been causing a loss of billions of rupees to national exchequer, adding that the court has given decision in his favour but some influential people are a hurdle in the way of implementation of this decision.