KP suspends all gold mining, cancels leases after deadly Kohat attack

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has ordered gold mining to stop across the province and mining leases to be cancelled after an attack in Kohat killed 10 security personnel. He said machinery used in defiance of the restrictions could be seized. The announcement followed an assault on police returning from an operation targeting illegal mining; authorities later reported 18 militants killed in a subsequent operation.

Kundi said unlawful extraction in Kohat was worth Rs4.29 billion, with about 90 kilograms of gold taken each month, and alleged that proceeds helped finance terrorism. He also said a special task force would design a lasting mining oversight system within three weeks, while a judicial commission would examine the illegal operations and identify those involved. The governor said the province would pursue mineral investment agreements that safeguard its interests and strengthen accountability.