KOHAT: Police launched a clean-up operation against illegal gold mining in the Darabo Kach area of Kohat after a deadly exchange of fire between two politically connected groups, officials said.
The clash erupted between a group led by Mujahid Afridi and Sadiq Afridi, nephews of PTI Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, and a group led by former MPA Amjad Afridi over a dispute tied to illegal gold mining. Several people were wounded and killed in the firing, according to sources.
Two FIRs were registered following the incident. Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act was included in the cases, and former MPA Amjad Afridi was named as a suspect.
Both Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam and former MPA Amjad Afridi are involved in illegal gold mining within the jurisdiction of the Gumbat police station, specifically in Darabo Kach and Qamar, sources said.
More than 80 percent of the excavators and heavy machinery used in the illegal mining operation belong not to an ordinary criminal syndicate but to PTI's own MPA elected from Kohat and advisors holding key positions in the provincial cabinet, according to sources.
On Sept. 14, the District Police Officer of Kohat ordered an operation against those involved in illegal mining in Darabo Kach. Multiple people were arrested, illegal mining sites were destroyed, and machinery and excavators were removed from the area.
Police operations against those involved in illegal mining are expected to continue, officials said.
The issue of illegal placer gold mining in Kohat had already grown complex because of the absence of permanent regulations or legislation. Competing interests among influential figures involved in the mining have further escalated tensions.
The recent operation marks a significant crackdown by police against illegal mining following the dispute.
