Tribal elders seek merger of minerals dept into KP govt

KHAR: Elders of Bajaur tribal district on Sunday asked the federal government to officially merge the minerals department into the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it has become a provincial subject after the KP-Fata merger. In a joint statement issued here, the tribal elder Sheikh Jahanzada and former president of Bajaur Political Alliance Qazi Abdul Manan said that tribal districts were rich in mineral resources but locals were deprived of their benefits. They added that in Bajaur and certain other tribal districts, some influential people had availed the lease of mineral resources through fraud.

The elders asked the authorities to cancel the illegal leases and issue new leases to contractors after consultation with the tribal elders. The tribal elders stated that the present minerals department had no record of minerals found in the tribal districts.