KP CM informed 14 times about illegal mining

KARACHI: Shahzeb Khanzada, the host of Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ while presenting his analysis on Wednesday said that the statement of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, who alleged that mining department of the province had been ‘all is well’ report to him.
According to the documents, the mining department and special assistant to the chief minister, on the contrary had apprised the authorities writing to them several times that illegal mining was going on in the province unabated. No heed was paid to the letters, which were also forwarded by the mining department to the chief minister’s special assistant. The mining department wrote fourteen times to higher authorities right from September 19, 2013 to May 9, 2014 but no action was taken.
Pervaiz Khattak was informed on May 2, 2014 that illegal mining was going on at different places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But, Shahzeb Khanzada said, the chief minister stated in this programme that the mining department had been reporting ‘all is well’. Letters were also written by Ziaullah Afridi regarding illegal mining to police and the chief minister’s secretariat, Shahzeb Khanzada further said.
Shahzeb Khanzada suggested that the Accountability Commission would also have to investigate from this angle as well. The chief minister should be asked what action he had taken on the information of the mining department. The chief minister should now appear before the Accountability Commission and give his clarification. There should be transparent investigation and the matter should not be confined to a minister only.
Speaking in the programme, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar said the MQM insisted on its instance of de-seating all the PTI’s members of the assembly. He said this was a matter of supremacy of law and the Constitution. He reminded that all the political parties vowed to strengthen democracy and this was the time for promoting and stabilising democracy.
He said the PTI should be ashamed of what it had done. It should at the least admit before the nation the political blunder it committed. Farooq Sattar demanded voting on MQM’s resolution against the PTI members. Those who wanted to vote against the Constitution might vote against the resolution. He said democracy was not that much feeble that it could not tolerate holding of by-elections on 35 seats. Giving weight to his argument he reminded that by-elections had already been held on 40 seats so far. He said the PTI should go to the masses, apologise for the mistakes it committed and then contest by-elections. Farooq Sattar said they were challenging the ruling of the Speaker regarding their resignations. In case Imran Khan and PTI MNAs came to the floor and state that they had not resigned, they would also say their resignations should not be accepted. On the other hand if they stated they had submitted resignations but the Speaker did not accept them, it would mean that they stood deseated. Farooq Sattar mocked at Imran Khan and PTI saying they might beg for charity from the PML-N for their membership and might accept it. The PTI should have some dignity at the least, he held.
He said killing of Malik Ishaq in police encounter showed fulfillment of the commitments of prime minister regarding end to terrorism. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said Punjab had achieved several victories in its efforts of countering terrorism.
He said Malik Ishaq’s killing portrayed the efforts of Punjab towards counter-terrorism as the Punjab government had zero tolerance for terrorism and would not accept it in any from. The minister said there was no existence of no-go areas or terror-training camps in Punjab.