KP Governor Kundi announces suspension of gold mining across province

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced a ban on gold mining across the province and revoked all existing mining leases in a bid to curb illegal mining activities. During a press conference in Peshawar, the governor condemned the recent attack in Kohat that killed 10 police officers returning from an operation against illegal mining. Kundi vowed to launch an "exemplary operation" against those responsible for the attack and their supporters.

The governor emphasized that there would be "zero tolerance" for individuals involved in illegal mining. Within a week, all mining leaseholders must remove heavy machinery from the affected areas; otherwise, it will be seized. Previously, fines for illegal mining were capped at Rs25,000 or Rs30,000, but this time, penalties could reach up to Rs2 million under the law. Kundi also accused politicians and other institutions of involvement in illegal mining and stated that they too would face punishment.

The attack in Kohat was linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, a group of terrorists associated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. These terrorists collaborated with illegal miners, who paid extortion money to the terrorists in exchange for protection. Kundi highlighted that illegal mining was generating Rs4.92 billion monthly and that 80% of the profits were being sent to Afghanistan to finance terrorist activities against Pakistan.

Furthermore, Kundi revealed that during the PTI government's tenure, a 'Youth Committee' was formed in February 2026 to collect extortion money from locals and non-locals. The committee collected Rs800,000 from locals and Rs110,000 from non-locals every week, with the funds being used by Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan and its security forces.