Lower Dir/Kohat: Elders and residents of Katan Dushkhel area of Lower Dir sat in the area on Tuesday and demanded the immediate cancellation of the lease agreement.
The protests warned that if their needs were not present, they would conduct strong protests outside the deputy commissioner’s office.
At gatherings elsewhere, including Maulana Noor Saleem, Dr. Riazuddin, Johar Ali and others, claiming that the contractor has been pushing precious stones from the Katan Mountains for the past eight years, causing environmental pollution.
They say the lives of students at the seminary and school located across the mountain are at risk. A day ago they added a huge rock that fell on the house, but luckily no major damage occurred.
Kohat Admin launches crackdown on miners
The speaker complains that the 45 songs (rather than the eight songs allowed) are taking on destructive roads in the area every day, rather than the eight songs allowed. They added that the natural springs were already dry and local cemeteries were affected due to constant mining.
Other places claim that the relevant departments were not trusted and were not public consultation until the lease was granted. They warned that if “IR responsible mining” is not stopped, they will transfer sit-in to the DC office and even consider boycotting the national immunity campaign, including anti-Polio Drive.
Later, the Assistant Commissioner of Timergara visited the site, reviewed the situation and assured the residents that their grief would be addressed.
However, protesters announced that their sitting would continue until their needs were accepted.
Meanwhile, the Kohat regional government cracked down on illegal mining, especially Placer Gold extraction, following a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Rahimullah Mehsud on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by police officials, assistant commissioners, representatives from the mineral and forestry sectors, and leasing personnel, and it was said that illegal mining companies caused serious losses while damaging agricultural land and the environment.
Mr Mehsud said illegal mining would not be tolerated anywhere in the area and directed law enforcement agencies to take immediate action against the participants. Special teams will be formed to inspect illegal practices, officials said.
In addition, Minority Leader and Provincial Advisory Committee member Riaz Rahi, together with DC Rahimulla Mehsud, discussed the problems faced by religious minorities. He highlighted these issues, including the safety of places of worship, the implementation of work quotas and the access to education and sanitation facilities.
The Deputy Commissioner assured him that the Government is committed to prioritizing the problem of minority communities.
Posted at Dawn on September 24, 2025
