ISLAMABAD
A major row has broken out in Pakistan’s Punjab province as local landowners face criminal charges for allegedly blocking gold extraction in the Attock region. While the government is eager to tap into the area’s mineral wealth, critics say ordinary citizens are being punished instead of protected.
The controversy reached the Provincial Assembly this week, led by opposition leader Qazi Ahmed Akbar. He argued that instead of receiving royalties for the gold found on their property, landowners are being booked by police for “obstructing official work.” Akbar demanded transparency, asking the government to reveal exactly how much revenue the gold has generated and why that money isn’t reaching the locals.
In response, Punjab’s Minister for Mines and Minerals, Sher Ali Gorchani, defended the project. He insisted the province’s assets belong to all its people and promised to share the “ground realities” soon. He also used the moment to attack the opposition, claiming the government is preventing the “looting and plunder” seen in other regions.
The debate turned personal and tense when opposition members sarcastically accused the government leadership of corruption. Despite the heated words, officials told the House that the mining department has already funneled billions into the provincial treasury. For the landowners in Attock, however, the “gold rush” has so far brought more legal trouble than wealth, leaving the community caught between high-value mining and their own land rights.
