KOHAT: Illegal gold mining in kohat has triggered severe security concerns following a violent armed clash between rival groups in the Darabu Kach area, prompting a major police clean-up operation.
According to details, the violent confrontation erupted due to a dispute between the group of Mujahid Afridi and Sadiq Afridi—nephews of PTI’s Provincial Minister for Law Aftab Alam—and the group of former MPA Amjad Afridi.
The clash resulted in casualties and injuries, leading to the registration of two FIRs incorporating Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, with former MPA Amjad Afridi also nominated.
Sources reveal that both Aftab Alam and Amjad Afridi are allegedly implicated in the unauthorized extraction within the limits of Police Station Gumbat.
Investigations indicate that over 80 percent of the heavy machinery and excavators deployed in this illegal gold mining in kohat belong to influential political figures and provincial advisors.
In response, DPO Kohat led a comprehensive crackdown on September 14, resulting in multiple arrests, the destruction of extraction sites, and the removal of heavy excavators, with further operations anticipated to curb illegal gold mining in kohat
Illegal mining across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has evolved into a critical environmental, fiscal, and security crisis, severely draining provincial resources and empowering local criminal networks.
Driven by the region’s rich mineral wealth—including gold, coal, marble, gemstones, and sand—unauthorized extraction operations frequently operate outside regulatory oversight.
The absence of strict enforcement frameworks and consistent standard operating procedures has allowed politically backed mafias to exploit vulnerable regions unchecked.
This illicit activity not only causes massive revenue losses for the national exchequer but also inflicts irreversible damage on local ecosystems, destabilizes mountain slopes, and triggers environmental degradation.
Furthermore, unregulated extraction sites often become hotspots for violent turf wars, illicit arms trade, and organized crime, directly threatening local communities and law enforcement personnel.
Combating this systemic issue requires robust legal reforms, transparent oversight, strict accountability for public officeholders, and uncompromised state enforcement to protect the province’s natural assets.
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Ultimately, addressing the broader regional challenge of illicit resource extraction remains as vital for regional stability as curbing instances of illegal gold mining in kohat.
