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‘Chinese firm illegally exported 500 tonnes of costly mineral’ - thenews.com.pk
PESHAWAR: Defending action against a Chinese exploration firm, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government accused M/S Tuny Pak for illegally exporting 500 tonnes of costly mineral to China.
Speaking at a press conference at Shahi Mehman khana here on Thursday, Provincial Minister for Mineral Development Ziaullah Afridi said the firm had made abortive attempts to sell out another 700 tonnes of the prized minerals through unfair means.
Apparently in a rebuttal to the news conference by the provincial president of Frontier Mine Owners Association (FMOA) and officials of the Chinese firm they held at Peshawar Press Club a day earlier, Ziaullah Afridi dispelled the impression that action against the Chinese firm had been taken on political basis.
The FMOA and Chinese investors, while referring to the activities of their firm M/S Tuny Pak in their joint press conference, had accused the provincial government of creating hurdles to their work.
Ziaullah Afridi refuted the allegations leveled by the representatives of the Tuny-Pak, a Chinese private mineral company, saying the company had carried out illegal exploration of minerals in Chitral district.
The minister said the department had awarded license to Tuny-Pak in 2012, for exploration of minerals in Chitral district. But the company had excavated those areas, where already minerals were discovered and excavated around 500 tonnes of mineral from Chitral and sold it out illegally in China that caused a huge loss to the provincial exchequer, he said. The
minister added the government had already initiated probe in this regard. He termed the M/S Tuny Pak representative allegations as a ploy to avoid action for their wrongdoings.
The minister explained that Tuny-Pak would be black-listed and the loss it caused to the public exchequer would be recovered once inquiry in the matter was completed. He said the firm was awarded license in April 2012 for an area of the 163 square kilometer and the license was given to it only for exploration of antimony.
However, the company focused only the mining of antimony which was already explored. They cleared the old antimony mining sites and excavated the said minerals. In addition, they also started new minerals excavation, he alleged.
The department has launched investigation against the company and it was found busy in mining the antimony instead of exploration, he said, adding, “the firm exported 500 tonnes of antimony just to deceive the department by showing that they are getting test reports of these minerals.”
About the performance of the department, he said 80 percent of the target had been achieved and a reforms programme launched to further improve it. He said government is introducing a new policy for exploration of natural resources and other minerals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through which around Rs.7billion would be generated annually.
About corruption within the department, Ziaullah Afridi said action had been already initiated against the illegal mine owners and lease holders. The minister said up to 38 persons have been arrested and two of the illegal miners were arrested from Nowshera, home district of chief minister.
PESHAWAR: Defending action against a Chinese exploration firm, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government accused M/S Tuny Pak for illegally exporting 500 tonnes of costly mineral to China.
Speaking at a press conference at Shahi Mehman khana here on Thursday, Provincial Minister for Mineral Development Ziaullah Afridi said the firm had made abortive attempts to sell out another 700 tonnes of the prized minerals through unfair means.
Apparently in a rebuttal to the news conference by the provincial president of Frontier Mine Owners Association (FMOA) and officials of the Chinese firm they held at Peshawar Press Club a day earlier, Ziaullah Afridi dispelled the impression that action against the Chinese firm had been taken on political basis.
The FMOA and Chinese investors, while referring to the activities of their firm M/S Tuny Pak in their joint press conference, had accused the provincial government of creating hurdles to their work.
Ziaullah Afridi refuted the allegations leveled by the representatives of the Tuny-Pak, a Chinese private mineral company, saying the company had carried out illegal exploration of minerals in Chitral district.
The minister said the department had awarded license to Tuny-Pak in 2012, for exploration of minerals in Chitral district. But the company had excavated those areas, where already minerals were discovered and excavated around 500 tonnes of mineral from Chitral and sold it out illegally in China that caused a huge loss to the provincial exchequer, he said. The
minister added the government had already initiated probe in this regard. He termed the M/S Tuny Pak representative allegations as a ploy to avoid action for their wrongdoings.
The minister explained that Tuny-Pak would be black-listed and the loss it caused to the public exchequer would be recovered once inquiry in the matter was completed. He said the firm was awarded license in April 2012 for an area of the 163 square kilometer and the license was given to it only for exploration of antimony.
However, the company focused only the mining of antimony which was already explored. They cleared the old antimony mining sites and excavated the said minerals. In addition, they also started new minerals excavation, he alleged.
The department has launched investigation against the company and it was found busy in mining the antimony instead of exploration, he said, adding, “the firm exported 500 tonnes of antimony just to deceive the department by showing that they are getting test reports of these minerals.”
About the performance of the department, he said 80 percent of the target had been achieved and a reforms programme launched to further improve it. He said government is introducing a new policy for exploration of natural resources and other minerals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through which around Rs.7billion would be generated annually.
About corruption within the department, Ziaullah Afridi said action had been already initiated against the illegal mine owners and lease holders. The minister said up to 38 persons have been arrested and two of the illegal miners were arrested from Nowshera, home district of chief minister.
