ISLAMABAD: The governor in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) announced on Saturday that he was suspending gold mining activities across the northwestern province on Saturday, stressing that illegal mining activity is being used to fund militant activities and causing heavy losses to the national exchequer.

The development takes place days after militants ambushed vehicles carrying police officers in northwestern Kohat district this week, triggering a gunbattle that killed at least 10 officers and 18 militants. The police officers were returning after conducting an operation against criminals involved in illegal gold mining in the area. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said the provincial administration had launched an operation against illegal gold mining in the province after the imposition of emergency in the province last month. He alleged that the Pakistani Taliban and illegal miners were part of a nexus, with the miners paying extortion money to the militant group for which they received protection in return.

“We have decided that all gold mining activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being suspended,” Kundi told reporters. “And all gold mining leases are being canceled.”

He shared details about the illegal mining operation in Kohat, saying that mining was underway in two blocks, namely C and D, in the area.

The governor said around 8,350 trucks, 3,660 excavators, 1,730 tractor trolleys with dynamos, 1,600 dumpers, 200 heavy loaders and between 49,000 and 51,000 laborers were involved in the mining activity.

He said illegal mining of gold worth Rs4.92 billion per month was being carried out.

“Eighty percent of this money was being sent to Afghanistan,” he said. “It was being used in terrorism, against Pakistan and for other uses.”

The governor shared a list of 12 people who were allegedly involved with illegal mining groups and provided them political cover. These included Aftab Alam of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, lawmaker Sheheryar Afridi of the PTI, Senator Khurram Zeeshan of the PTI, former Gambat town nazim Sajid Iqbal, former Lachi town nazim Ehsan, former lawmaker of the Pakistan Peoples Party Amjad Afridi, former district mayor Seth Saifullah of the Jamiat Uiema Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) and others.

He said the new provincial administration had decided to form a task force to formulate a comprehensive strategy to regulate legal mining procedures, security arrangements and environmental protection within three weeks.

The governor said representatives from law enforcement agencies, the mines and minerals department, the finance department, and district administration will be part of the task force.

Kundi vowed that the government will not victimize its political opponents but take action strictly in accordance with the law against those found involved in illegal gold mining.

“If there is no system of reward and punishment, neither this province nor this country will move forward,” he said.