Muhammad Irshadullah
PESHAWAR: Disagreements over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 continue to linger among members of the provincial assembly.
Despite several sessions held to brief lawmakers on the bill, consensus has yet to be achieved. A dedicated briefing session was arranged in the Jirga Hall of the KP Assembly aimed at persuading lawmakers from the tribal districts to participate.
Sources said majority of the assembly members were absent from the briefing, even as the ruling party held multiple internal meetings.
PTI lawmakers from Bajaur strongly voiced their concerns over the bill. Initially, several members from the merged districts boycotted the session, prompting the speaker and provincial ministers to make efforts to bring them on board. Ultimately, the dissenting lawmakers were convinced to attend.
Awami National Party (ANP) presented its stance before announcing a boycott. During the same session, ruling party MPA Anwar Zeb Khan stated that they would present their suggestions and then walked out of the briefing.
Following the session, Law Minister Aftab Alam told media that all parliamentarians and civil society representatives had been briefed on the bill. According to him, the speaker made it clear that the founder of PTI would be briefed separately, and the bill would not be taken under consideration without his consent.
Aftab Alam emphasized that every member had the right to their opinion, but the mines and minerals bill does not violate 18th Constitutional Amendment. He criticized certain YouTubers for spreading exaggerated claims about the bill and asserted that the provincial government would never surrender its authority to the federal government or compromise on the interests of the people.
The law minister also mentioned that the bill had been thoroughly debated in the cabinet and that amendments had been proposed. He noted that some PTI workers and members wanted the bill to be discussed with the party’s founder. “If the PTI founder has turned down major offers, this bill is of little significance to him,” he added.