TAKHTBAHI: Rejecting the proposed Mines and Mineral Bill 2025, Awami National Party (ANP) leader and former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti on Tuesday said that his party was the genuine representative of Pakhtuns and committed to safeguarding their rights.
Addressing a workers’ convention here, he said that the ANP had always prioritised constitutional and democratic principles and fought for provincial autonomy.Haider Hoti highlighted the ANP’s significant achievements during its previous term in government, stating that the party took concrete and historic steps to secure rightful autonomy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We strengthened the province economically and put it on the path to development. The elimination of terrorism from the region was made possible in the ANP’s tenure,” he maintained.
The ANP leader accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of widespread corruption and misgovernance during its 13-year rule. “Even PTI’s own speaker accused the provincial government of corruption worth over Rs500 billion,” Hoti stated. He also pointed to alleged embezzlement in high-profile projects such as Malam Jabba, the Bus Rapid Transit, Billion Tree Tsunami, the health card programme and the solarization of mosques.Calling on party workers to begin preparations for the upcoming elections, Hoti said the future belongs to ANP once again.
Haider Khan Hoti praised the 18th Constitutional Amendment as a landmark reform that strengthened federalism, expanded provincial autonomy, and reversed authoritarian-era amendments. “This amendment, passed unanimously by the National Assembly and Senate in 2010, reflected the principled stance of ANP leaders including Asfandyar Wali Khan, who played an active role in its drafting,” he added. He said the Mines and Minerals Bill was in violation of the 18th Amendment, as it seeks to centralize control over mineral resources that constitutionally belong to the provinces.