Mining bill sparks uproar in the House

Express Tribune

14-04-2025

A briefing on the proposed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 at the provincial assembly turned chaotic on Monday due to strong objections from lawmakers. The disruption led Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to adjourn the meeting and postpon the briefing until next Monday, April 21.
Lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), particularly those representing merged districts, staged a walkout in protest. They announced their intention to raise the issue with PTI founder Imran Khan.
Assembly members criticized the Mines and Minerals Department for failing to present a timely and clear comparison between the previous 2017 bill and the new 2025 version. Many expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and preparation.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the briefing was held in the Jirga Hall of the Provincial Assembly to address and build consensus among government and opposition members. The session was attended by the Speaker, Provincial Law Minister, Advocate General, and members from both sides of the aisle.
Tensions flared when the Secretary and Director General of the Minerals Department began presenting the bill. PTI MPA Abdul Salam Afridi objected, claiming the bill was against the public interest and would allow unfair control over the province's resources.
ANP MPA Muhammad Nisar echoed these concerns, accusing the government of trying to hand over mineral resources to private companies through non-transparent means. A heated exchange then broke out between Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi and ANP MPA Muhammad Nisar. Nisar alleged the government aimed to loot provincial resources, while Meena Khan responded that ANP had supported a similar bill in Balochistan and had overseen peak corruption in the sector during their tenure.
Seeing the situation out of control, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati intervened and adjourned the briefing till next Monday, April 21.
He appealed to members to discuss the matter in a peaceful atmosphere. During the briefing, PTI MPA Anwar Zaib raised an objection as to whether this bill has been brought to the notice of the PTI founder. If it has not been brought to the notice of Imran Khan, then they cannot listen to this bill nor will they approve it.
He said that they, as lawmakers from the merged districts, walk out of this briefing. The briefing was stopped after the walkout.
The briefing of the Department of Minerals on the Mines and Minerals Act 2025 ended after the walkout of the members.
Speaker Saleem Swati expressed anger at the Department of Minerals for failing to present a comparison in front of the assembly.
The Speaker issued orders to provide hard copies to the lawmakers by this afternoon.
Opposition members said that the bill increased the control of the federal government or private companies over provincial resources, but the government maintained that the new law will help stop illegal mining and modernize the industry.
PTI and ANP members insisted that the bill should be further debated and transformed into a public interest bill. After the Speaker's order, a briefing will be held again next Monday.