MANSEHRA: The mines owners have criticised the provincial government for what they call not playing its constitutional role in abolishing tax on transportation of minerals imposed by tehsil government of Oghi earlier this month.

`We condemn provincial government, which is not playing its constitutional role in abolishing the tax imposed by tehsil government of Oghi on transportation of minerals. We are moving court to get a stay order against this illegal tax,` Tahir Khattak, the president of Mine Leased Owners Association of Mansehra, told journalists at the end of their meeting here on Sunday.

The meeting, which was attended largely by mine owners from Hazara division, decided to get stay order from court against the tax imposed by tehsil government.

TheparticipantsofmeetingposedconfidenceinMrKhattak, who would move court on behalf of the mine owners.

The mine owners had stopped excavations and transportations of mines in Oghi tehsil on June 1 after tehsil government imposed the tax. `Mining is not a small industry as over 600 mines leased owners are attached with it alone in Mansehra district. Hundreds of mineworkers and transporters are attached with it but all are without work since tehsil government imposed the unjustified tax on transportation of minerals,` said Mr Khattak.

He said that Advocate Mehboob Ali would file a case in the court of district and sessions judge on their behalf most probably on Monday or Tuesday.

The leader of mine owners said that besides tehsil government of Oghi, the deputy commissioner of Mansehra, director general and secretary of mines and minerals department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, assistant commissioner of Oghi, tehsil nazim of Oghi and assistant director of minerals in Mansehra are made respondents in the case.

BODY FOUND: The body of a boy, who had gone missing last week, was found in the forest of Sari Goyaha in Oghi on Sunday.

Police and family of the missing boy, Mohammad Zahid, were searching for him since he disappeared from his home in Pulkot area of Oghi on June 10. The local people saw the body of the boy in the forest and informed police. The body was shifted to civil hospital in Oghi where his family identified it.

According to police, Anwaz Zeb, the paternal uncle of victim, had taken him to forest and shot him dead. The suspect had managed to escape, they said.

Oghi police after lodging FIR have started investigation to dig out the exact cause behind the murder as according to initial investigations the murder is the result of domestic enmity.

Correspondent