The Awami National Party (ANP) has rejected the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government's Mines and Minerals Bill and announced plans to consult with other political parties to oppose it.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Bacha Khan Center on Friday, alongside the party's provincial cabinet, ANP Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the party will challenge the legislation in court and mobilize public support against it.
"We will not allow anyone to plunder the resources of our province. The bill amounts to an attack on the 18th Amendment," he said.
Senior Vice President Syed Aqil Shah, General Secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai and other central and provincial leaders were also present on the occasion.
Mian Iftikhar said that ANP completely rejects the K-P Minerals and Mines Act 2025.
According to reports, the draft of this bill was prepared by two American consultants. He said that a comprehensive law for mines and minerals already exists in K-P since 2017, making a new law unnecessary. He added that the Mines and Minerals Department has raised 73 objections to the proposed bill, while the Mines and Minerals Association has submitted 47 objections.
The provincial government had assured to remove these objections, but despite the assurance, the draft prepared without any amendments was approved by the cabinet and presented to the assembly.
He said that even the government's own members are unaware of the bill being presented in the assembly. The bill presented by the provincial government is against the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which all political parties had jointly passed to end frustration in the provinces.
He said in the past, the denial of provincial autonomy led to the division of Pakistan and the loss of its eastern wing. Constitutionally, the first right and authority over natural resources belongs to the people living on this land.
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