# Explosives curbs idle 4,000 KP mining projects and 300,000 workers, mine owners say

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/business/explosives-curbs-idle-4000-kp-mining-projects-and-300000-workers-mine-owners-say)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 22 Oct 2026
Updated: 22 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 25 Oct 2026

> The Frontier Mine Owners Association says three months of restrictions on explosives have stopped mines, 2,000 processing units and their trucks, and has asked Governor Kundi to step in.

**About 4,000 mining projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have stopped working because of restrictions on the supply of explosives over the past three months, leaving nearly 300,000 mine workers without jobs**, the Frontier Mine Owners Association (FMOA) said, [Business Recorder reported](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445400/explosives-ban-renders-4000-mining-projects-inoperative-in-kp-fmoa) from Peshawar on Thursday.

Mines in the province rely on blasting to open rock faces, so without a legal supply of explosives most cannot extract anything. The association says the effect has spread down the chain: about **2,000 mineral processing units** and **hundreds of transport vehicles** that carry ore and stone have also been disrupted.

## The figures, as the mine owners give them

| | Affected |
|---|---|
| Mining projects inoperative | about 4,000 |
| Mine workers out of work | nearly 300,000 |
| Mineral processing units disrupted | about 2,000 |
| Linked transport vehicles | hundreds |

These are the association's own figures. Business Recorder did not name the authority that imposed the restrictions, and no government figure has been published.

## What the association wants

FMOA president **Uzair Khan Tanoli** and chairman **Sherbandi Khan Marwat** asked KP Governor **Faisal Karim Kundi** to intervene on a priority basis, citing better relations between the province and the federal government. Tanoli said the association has no affiliation with any political party, and that many of the sector's problems come from federal policies and decisions.

The association also listed longer-running complaints:

- forest-related obstacles to mining leases;
- barriers to foreign investment;
- the government's failure to grant mining the status of an industry.

Tanoli said he supports transparent accountability for the provincial minerals department, based on evidence, but that inquiries over the past two decades had mostly come to nothing.

## Why it matters beyond the mines

A long stoppage reaches beyond the mine owners: it means lost daily wages for labourers and truckers in the mining districts, and less stone and minerals reaching buyers. If you are paid by the day in the sector and your work has stopped, check your EOBI registration and entitlements with our [EOBI calculator](/tools/finance/eobi-calculator).

We will update this story if the provincial or federal government responds or the restrictions are eased.

## Frequently asked questions

**Why have mines stopped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?**

The Frontier Mine Owners Association says restrictions on the supply of explosives over the past three months have left about 4,000 mining projects inoperative, Business Recorder reported on 22 October 2026.

## Sources

- Explosives ban renders 4,000 mining projects inoperative in KP: FMOA (22 Oct 2026) (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445400/explosives-ban-renders-4000-mining-projects-inoperative-in-kp-fmoa

How to cite: "Explosives curbs idle 4,000 KP mining projects and 300,000 workers, mine owners say", Searchable, 22 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/business/explosives-curbs-idle-4000-kp-mining-projects-and-300000-workers-mine-owners-say