Fazl rejects K-P mines, minerals bill

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Wednesday that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government's proposed mines and minerals bill was unacceptable as it violated the provincial autonomy.

Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Fazl said that law and order situation was bad in Balochistan and K-P, where JUI-F leaders and supporters were being targeted. He also opposed the forced repatriation of the Afghan refugees.

Fazl termed the K-P's mines and minerals bill an attack on provincial autonomy. "The Federation wants to seize the resources of the province," he said. "If the government wants to do business of minerals, we are not against it, but provinces' autonomy, resources and rights should not be affected," he added.

"We are not in favour of the bill because it is tantamount to robbing the province of its resources," Fazl told reporters, add that the government should rethink on this matter. "It the government does not come to its senses, we would go to the people."

The JUI-F chief stressed that there should not be any violation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. He warned that the mines and mineral bills could lead to foreign intervention. "We will not accept any changes in the 18th Amendment."

Fazl said that the decision of the merger of former Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with K-P should not have been taken in haste. "Now it is not known what is the current status of the tribal areas, whether they are merged or have a separate status," he said.

Speaking about the repatriation of the Afghan refugees, Fazl said that this issue was raised in 2017 when refugees were asked to return from here and at that time, he had suggested that the refugees should be divided into categories.

Elaborating, he said that first category would be of those who had acquired professional skills and Pakistan could benefit from them; the second category comprised businessmen and investors and the third category of students and the ordinary people.

He proposed that the two countries should adopt a joint mechanism for their return. "The way the refugees are being returned is a violation of humanitarian rights and international organisations should take notice of it. However, if refugees go back voluntarily, there should not be any objection to it."

Fazl announced that a meeting of the JUI-F central council had been called on April 19 and 20. He also announced that the party would contact other parties on the mines and minerals bill. He also announced plans for a million march at Minar-e-Pakistan on April 27 and in Peshawar on May 11.