KP Assembly speaker says suggestions received for mineral bills

PESHAWAR: A consultative session on the Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 was held at the Old Jirga Hall of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati chaired the session. He delivered the opening remarks and briefed participants on the bill, according to a handout.

The session was attended by Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Ibadullah, Minister for Law Aftab Alam, members of the Provincial Assembly, officials from relevant departments, lawyers, and representatives from civil society.

The speaker explained that the session was convened in light of the questions, concerns, and suggestions raised regarding the bill to incorporate the views of all stakeholders.

He noted that after cabinet approval and the bill’s introduction in the assembly, it faced scrutiny at various levels, including political circles, civil society, and media discussions, both nationally and internationally.

The speaker stated that several written suggestions and proposed amendments were received from parliamentarians, legal experts, and civil society representatives, which had been duly recorded.

These suggestions, he added, would be shared with the principal secretary and the Department of Minerals for further submission to the chief minister.

All proposals deemed constructive will be incorporated into the bill, while any points considered detrimental to the province will be excluded, he assured.

The speaker made it clear the bill would not move forward to the next stage of consultation or be tabled in the Assembly for approval without the explicit approval of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s founding chairman, Imran Khan.

He said that the chief minister and PTI’s political committee would brief Imran Khan in detail, and only after his instructions would any action be taken on the bill.

The speaker added that the purpose of this consultative process was to consolidate all concerns and suggestions from stakeholders in order to ensure effective and inclusive legislation. he said all feedback received will be officially shared with the relevant department, and a comprehensive review will determine the future course of the bill.