200 Coal Mines Closed In Balochistan As Miners Refuse To Work After Hazara Massacre

After the brutal killing of 10 Hazara coal mine workers in Machh, many coal miners in Balochistan — estimated around 15000 — quit their jobs, resulting in closure of as many as 200 mines in the province.

Abdullah Shehwani, the provincial head of coal mines, said that more than 100 mines were still non-functional.

Workers in these coal mines are mostly from marginalised background and after the brutal murder of the Hazaras, the workers are afraid to go back to work.

Other than this fear, these workers face many difficulties such as militant groups extorting the protection funds and kidnapping workers for ransom. If these ransom demands aren’t met, workers fear they may face violent actions.

Further, these workers are not paid enough for their labour.