PESHAWAR — In the wake of a deadly militant ambush that claimed the lives of 11 police personnel, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has announced the immediate suspension of all provincial gold mining leases and the cancellation of existing permits. Addressing a press conference alongside the provincial adviser for minerals, chief secretary, and Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi revealed that an alarming 90 kilograms of gold had been extracted unlawfully within a single month. The decisive measure follows a major security operation launched by the Kohat police against an entrenched illicit mining network, which met fierce resistance when terrorists ambushed the law enforcement party, injuring 12 others.
Detailing the scale of the illicit operations, officials disclosed that underground networks relied heavily on industrial machinery, deploying approximately 3,000 excavators, 1,600 dumpers, and 200 heavy loaders while employing nearly 49,000 workers. The unauthorized extractions yielded an estimated Rs4.2 billion on a monthly basis. According to the provincial administration, a significant portion of the financial proceeds—amounting to roughly 80 per cent—was funneled across the border into Afghanistan, with illegal operators paying extortion sums to militant elements.
The crackdown underscores broader security and economic vulnerabilities in the region, where illicit resource extraction has increasingly intersected with criminal syndicates and terrorism. Officials stated that maintaining regional law and order remains the government's paramount objective, noting that comprehensive accountability measures will apply universally to both political and non-political figures implicated in the nexus. Furthermore, the administration highlighted the region's vast untapped mineral potential, drawing parallels to national resource frameworks and signaling an intent to pursue international investments under stricter regulatory standards.
Looking ahead, the provincial government plans to overhaul the regulatory framework by introducing a revised gold mining policy within three weeks. Contractors engaged in the sector have been issued a strict directive to vacate the province within a week, with authorities warning of decisive enforcement actions upon the expiration of the deadline. Meanwhile, security forces intend to intensify operations against remaining illegal excavations, signaling a zero-tolerance approach toward unauthorized resource exploitation and militant financing.