Latest news with #MinesandMineralsAct2025
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P Assembly deadlocked over mines & minerals bill
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly remained divided over the promulgation of the Mines and Minerals Act 2025 as its draft bill has failed to gain consensus between the government and opposition members. On Monday, the Speaker of the Assembly convened a second meeting to forge consensus, but it ended without any outcome. Several members, including those from the merged districts, boycotted the meeting. Subsequently, the Speaker halted further proceedings on the bill, making its progress contingent upon the approval of the founder of PTI. It is worth noting that the first meeting on April 14 also failed to yield any results due to objections from opposition members and a walkout by over 15 members from the merged districts. According to sources, several meetings were held after that to address the concerns of government members. However, members from the merged districts remain unsatisfied even after the second meeting to reach a consensus on the bill. Most members were absent from the briefing, and those from the merged districts insisted on boycotting it. Sources also indicate that before the briefing, several closed-door meetings were held to convince members, but no agreement could be reached. Despite the efforts of the Speaker and ministers to persuade them, the attempts proved unsuccessful. During the briefing on the bill at the Assembly Jirga Hall, the Awami National Party (ANP) presented its stance and then decided to unanimously boycott the meeting. Several members, including those from the merged districts, PTI's Peshawar MPA Fazal Elahi, Swat's Mian Sharafat, and Mardan's Tariq, boycotted the session. The dissatisfied members set up a protest outside the Assembly. According to sources, government members are also divided over the proposed act. Some government members are now demanding amendments to the 2017 act instead of introducing a new bill, which was approved by the cabinet and presented in the assembly. Due to the boycott by members of various political parties, the meeting ended without results. Chairman of the Good Governance Forum, Dr Akhtar Ali Shah, also recommended withdrawing the proposed Act. Instead, he suggests suitably amending the existing Act in light of the observations and proposals made in the document, and any further amendments by the lawmakers. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the federal spirit of the Constitution and preserving the legislative, administrative, and financial autonomy of the province. After the meeting, ANP's Nisar Baaz and Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah Khan spoke to the media, maintaining that if the Act is not in the province's interest, he will discuss it with the prime minister. He acknowledged that the 2017 act is also a human-made law with potential flaws. He also questioned why the cabinet approved the bill if government members had reservations about it during the briefing. He accused the government of trying to pass the proposed law in the dead of night and criticized government members for conditioning the law's passage on the PTI founder's approval.
Express Tribune
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mining bill sparks uproar in the House
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.
Express Tribune
06-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Minerals framework being finalised
Listen to article ISLAMABAD: The government is close to finalising the National Minerals Harmonisation Framework 2025, a key initiative aimed at attracting investment in the mineral sector. All provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are to adopt the policy by February 26 this year. It will also be unveiled at the Pakistan Critical Minerals Summit, planned for April 9. Saudi Arabia has already expressed interest in acquiring 15% shares in the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project. The framework will help to formalise the policy at the domestic and national levels, which will encourage investment in Pakistan's mining sector. This is a key initiative of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for the mining industry. Sources said that the federal government was striving to take all provinces on board while finalising the National Minerals Harmonisation Framework 2025. They said that the provinces had been kept involved at all stages, including exclusive briefings to the chief secretaries followed by the chief ministers as well as in consultations with large and small-scale mining companies, mining associations, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and provincial mining departments. Over 750 points were raised, of which 694 have been settled and incorporated into the framework. As a result, the harmonised Mines and Minerals Act 2025 and the National Mineral Development Policy 2025 are now ready for adoption and implementation. These will be showcased during the upcoming Pakistan Minerals Summit in April. Sources said that the federal government, in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, was to finalise the Mines Safety and Health Act 2025 and present a milestone-based action plan to ensure its adoption by all provinces before June 2025. All chief ministers and the AJK prime minister are required to curb illegal mineral mining and ensure that no lease is granted to foreign companies involving the extraction and export of raw material, as already incorporated into the Mines and Minerals Act 2025. They will also identify provincial policies and laws that directly impact foreign direct investment and industrial development in the country. They will collaborate with the Ministry of Law and Justice for initiating the harmonisation of laws through the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to effectively facilitate investors and promote ease of doing business. Pakistan has already chalked out a $1.9 billion funding plan to execute the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project. Total project funding has been estimated at $4.297 billion. Of the total, the share of state-owned enterprises' special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be $1.194 billion and that of the government of Balochistan SPV $717 million, according to the definitive agreements for the Reko Diq mining project in Chagai, Balochistan. Balochistan's contribution will be funded by the government of Pakistan. According to a plan, in case debt financing is raised, Pakistan's government will provide a back-to-back guarantee for the government of Balochistan SPV shareholders' pro rata share under any project finance facilities prior to the execution of financing documents with approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). With the approval of federal and provincial cabinets, the government of Pakistan and the government of Balochistan had entered into an out-of-court dispute settlement with Tethyan Copper Company, Australia (TCCA) in respect of the Reko Diq copper and gold project. They reached the agreement after adverse arbitrary awards by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and due to expected similar awards from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) against Pakistan's government and the Balochistan province, respectively. These arrangements include the development of mineral resources under a reconstituted Reko Diq project comprising a joint venture among Barrick Gold Corporation, the government of Balochistan and state-owned enterprises namely Pakistan Petroleum, Oil and Gas Development Company and Government Holdings (Pvt) Limited.
