Withdrawal of minerals bill sought

By Bureau report
May 22, 2025
A Pakistani worker collects salt stones to be loaded onto a truck outside the Khewra salt mine in Khewra. — AFP/File
A Pakistani worker collects salt stones to be loaded onto a truck outside the Khewra salt mine in Khewra. — AFP/File

PESHAWAR: Experts at a seminar have recommended the withdrawal of the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 and called for its revision through meaningful consultation with the provinces.

The Pabbi Intellectual Forum organized a seminar where the draft bill came under strong criticism.Legal and governance experts warned that the proposed law undermines provincial autonomy by enabling federal control over natural resources, in violation of the Constitution.

Chaired by senior psychiatrist Dr. Mian Iftikhar, the seminar aimed to generate debate on key national issues.Participants said the bill threatened to centralize decision-making, bypass provincial jurisdiction, and create confusion over mineral ownership and classification.

The speakers argued that the bill contravenes Articles 97, 158, 161, and 172 of the Constitution, which define provincial ownership and priority rights over natural resources.Particular concern was raised over the vague definitions of rare earth minerals and the proposed establishment of a federal Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority, which, they said, would usurp powers constitutionally assigned to the provinces.

Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, constitutional expert and Chairman of the Good Governance Forum, said the bill’s provisions for mineral reclassification and administrative restructuring open the door to arbitrary federal intervention.

He noted that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earned Rs10 billion annually from mining, the actual commercial value of resources such as nephrite and marble remains unassessed due to a lack of provincial capacity.

The forum proposed clearer legal definitions, binding oversight through the Council of Common Interests, and increased investment in provincial geological surveys to ensure transparent valuation and governance of mineral resources.

Former senator Farhatullah Babar, academician Dr. Noor Jehan, and Awami National Party leader Maulana Khan Zaib also spoke on the occasion.They urged the federal government to respect constitutional boundaries and protect the economic rights of the federating units.