The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has unanimously decided that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill will only be passed after thorough consultation and with the formal approval and confidence of its founding chairman, Imran Khan.
The decision was made in the party's political committee meeting held to discuss the Mines and Minerals Bill presented in the provincial assembly.
During the meeting, CM K-P Ali Amin Gandapur gave a comprehensive and detailed briefing on all key aspects of the bill.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a statement, said that the political committee reviewed all dimensions of the bill threadbare and unanimously agreed that the bill did not contain any clause transferring provincial autonomy, rights or mineral resources to the federation, SIFC, or any other federal institution.
He said that during the meeting, it was agreed that positive suggestions from all stakeholders would be welcomed and consultation with other parliamentary parties would continue to evolve a wide-range consensus before the final approval of the bill.
The PTI leader said that the bill has already been presented in the K-P Assembly and was under discussion. However, it would only be approved by the assembly after obtaining Imran Khan's formal approval and fully aligning it with his agenda, manifesto, narrative, and public aspirations.
Waqas made it clear that there has been no haste in the approval of this bill, nor will there be any in the future.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that Imran strictly prohibited the individuals who met him from discussing meeting details or instructions with the media.
He said that as per Imran Khan's instructions, those who met with him must submit written details of his instructions to the central secretary information, as only the central secretary information was authorised to issue these written instructions and statements.
Waqas stated that any statements from other sources would not be considered official or credible from now onward.
Moreover, he asserted that PTI founder strictly refrained the party officials from making statements against one another. He said that violators would face show-cause notices, and those holding party positions would be stripped of their responsibilities.
Waqas said that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has been briefed about the authority and powers of the Punjab's chief organiser, adding that a six-member advisory committee would be formed under the chief organiser.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, has stirred up a firestorm of criticism, with PTI founder Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan calling for putting the proposed legislation on hold.
The criticism, which came mostly from the ruling PTI's leaders and social media activists, was so harsh that Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur had to put out a statement on Tuesday night, dismissing "rumours and misconceptions" regarding the proposed amendments.
The bill, which was tabled in the provincial assembly on April 4, was ripped apart by both ruling and opposition lawmakers.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ