Soorang Coal Mine accident victims: Muqam distributes cheques among heirs

SHANGLA: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON and President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Engineer Amir Muqam, has said that an FIR has been registered regarding the tragic Soorang Coal Mine accident in Quetta, while an inquiry committee has also been constituted to investigate the incident. He said that those found responsible would be proceeded against in accordance with the law.

He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony held at Jirga Hall, Alpuri, Shangla, on Wednesday, where financial assistance cheques were distributed among the heirs of miners who lost their lives in the tragic Soorang Coal Mine accident in Balochistan.

Engineer Amir Muqam said the federal government stood firmly with the affected families in this hour of grief and would continue to extend all possible assistance and support to them.

The ceremony was attended by Member of the Provincial Assembly Muhammad Rashad Khan, Secretary Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) Zulfiqar Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Shangla, local PML-N leadership, senior officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, party office-bearers and a large number of affected families.

The Federal Minister said that the Workers Welfare Fund, Islamabad, had distributed financial assistance cheques worth Rs 1 million each among the heirs of the miners who lost their lives in the Soorang Coal Mine accident in Balochistan.

He said the cheques had been issued on the special instructions of Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain. The assistance was aimed at providing immediate financial relief to the bereaved families and assuring them of the government’s support during this difficult time.

Engineer Amir Muqam said that his visit was not merely aimed at distributing assistance cheques but also at directly assessing the problems and needs of the affected families. He directed the relevant authorities to extend maximum possible cooperation to the families and said that additional assistance cheques would also be provided at the earliest.

He said that workers from Shangla were contributing their services across all four provinces in search of employment and, therefore, effective measures were essential to address their issues. He announced that an Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) office would also be established in Shangla to facilitate workers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026