Pakistan’s Attock district, long known for its strategic location, is now at the center of a gold mining scandal that’s shaking Punjab politics. What began as excitement over vast gold deposits has morphed into accusations of injustice, with landowners facing legal action for supposedly blocking government-sanctioned digs on their own property.
Pandemonium broke loose in the Punjab Assembly when PTI’s Qazi Ahmed Akbar, the local MPA, tabled a resolution seeking full disclosure on gold revenues. He decried the FIRs lodged against farmers and villagers, urging authorities to enforce royalty obligations from the mining contractor instead.
In an exclusive interview with Dawn, Qazi painted a grim picture: ‘These people own the land, yet they’re criminalized for resisting unauthorized encroachments.’ Reports indicate that protests have intensified, with community leaders organizing sit-ins and legal challenges against the provincial administration.
Defending the government’s stance, Mines Minister Sher Ali Gorchani emphasized transparency and people’s ownership of resources. He launched a counteroffensive, alleging rampant graft under previous PTI regimes in KP and crediting Maryam Nawaz’s leadership for robust oversight.
The assembly session turned rowdy as exchanges grew heated. Opposition firebrand Mian Asif Ali Bagga’s barb – implying exclusive theft privileges for the CM – drew sharp rebukes and calls for order. Amid the uproar, officials revealed that mining activities have already poured billions of rupees into state coffers.
This clash underscores deeper tensions in Pakistan’s extractive industries: balancing national wealth generation with equitable benefits for affected communities. As drills bore deeper, Attock’s residents demand their fair share, warning that unresolved grievances could derail the entire project.
