34 Miners Killed in Quetta Coal Mine, Highlighting Pakistan's Ongoing Mining Safety Failures and Calls for Reform.

A collapse at the Sorange coal mine near Quetta on Thursday claimed 34 lives. The final bodies were recovered about a week ago. After the disaster, local communities and government officials expressed grief and pledged investigations and compensation for the victims’ families. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan released a 2022 report, *Beneath the Surface: Rights Violations in Balochistan's Coal Mines*, which recorded unsafe working conditions, inadequate mine inspections, and weak enforcement of safety rules. The report recommended actions such as strengthening the Mines Inspectorate, improving ventilation and methane monitoring, enhancing emergency response, extending social security for miners, and ratifying the ILO Convention on mine safety. Most of these recommendations remain only partially applied, indicating persistent governance shortcomings. Pakistan has announced plans to develop critical minerals, including rare earth elements, as strategic assets that could attract foreign investment. However, expanding extraction without robust safety and environmental oversight risks repeating past failures. The situation mirrors challenges faced elsewhere. In the Congo, weak governance has led to child labour and environmental damage in the cobalt sector. Australia and Canada, by contrast, maintain strong regulatory institutions, rigorous environmental checks, and high labour standards, which support sustainable mining. Rare earth processing also poses environmental and public‑health risks if chemicals, waste, and contaminated water are not properly managed. Safety and environmental protections should be seen as foundations for lasting development, not obstacles to investment. Ensuring rigorous safety, clear regulations, and accountability could help Pakistan avoid further casualties and build a sustainable mining sector.