Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Condemns Heranai DC Order, Calls for End to Illegal Extortion by FC and BLA

Quetta (Qudrat Daily) — The **Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP)** has strongly condemned an order issued by the **Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Heranai**, which mandates that mine owners, contractors, and sub-contractors be solely responsible for the protection of their mines and labor. The party says the order **violates the Constitution, law, and the Mines and Minerals Act** and will spread lawlessness in the district.

According to the party’s provincial press release, Heranai coal mine owners have been paying royalties to the **Ministry of Mines and Minerals** for years. Additionally, under the guise of security, the **Frontier Corps (FC)** has been collecting protection money for the past 8–9 years, which owners, contractors, and sub-contractors were forced to pay. Later, under FC instructions, the **Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)** also received extortion payments, often deposited into bank accounts on Quetta’s Jinnah Road. Despite these payments, security in the mining areas remained inadequate.

PMAP stated that the DC’s new directive effectively forces mine owners to take on **non-official private security duties**, creating a situation of **anarchy and lawlessness**. The party demanded that the **Ministry of Mines and Minerals ensure full protection of Heranai coal mining areas**, cancel the DC’s controversial order, and take steps to **eliminate illegal extortion by FC and BLA**, restoring the **rule of law in the district**.

The party warned that failing to reverse the order could exacerbate insecurity and undermine lawful governance in Heranai’s mining sector.