Similar unanswered questions hang over the CTBT policy, which has zig zagged between so many different formulations that it is dizzying to look at. Islamabad is still frozen between taking the leap of faith and stealing the Treaty march on Delhi and waiting for India to set the pace of the long-lingering decision to sign or not to sign. But just as true is the fact that this policy course, and the range of options it offers, is held hostage by India, which, funnily, can have the final say on what Pakistan can and cannot do in the nuclear field. Mining hazards Poor working conditions compound miners' plight Mining is hazardous. Coal mining even more so.
Most fatal accidents occur in coal mines.
The death of eight workers in Sibi on Monday, when the roof of a mine collapsed and fell upon them, can be attributed to the risky nature of the task they were performing. This, however, will not be entirely correct. The inherent dangers of the task of mining are made deadlier by the poor security and monitoring arrangements for mining work, and bad working conditions. There is no scarcity of official factotums who would leap to the defence of the existing safety standards for miners, but their denials cannot alter the plight of mine workers, nor can these reduce the risk miners are exposed to in most inhospitable conditions. Coal mining is primarily done by digging tunnels and then creating makeshift support structures to hold the roof steady.