KOHAT: The Awami National Party (ANP)-sponsored All Parties Conference (APC) on Sunday rejected the Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 and urged the rulers to remain in their legal and constitutional domains.
ANP Kohat president Masood Khalil, City Mayor Qari Sher Zaman, Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Rashid Paracha, Ubaidullah Haidari and several other social, political, and business figures attended the APC and shared their valuable insights and suggestions.
During the conference, all participants unanimously issued a joint declaration rejecting the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill.
They declared: “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 is unanimously rejected. It is a direct attack on the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, as well as on local control over natural resources and the supremacy of the provincial assembly. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and their elected representatives alone have the right to manage the province’s resources. No federal institution or bureaucracy should be allowed to grab them.”
The speakers said that local resources, community rights, and inclusive consultation was of paramount importance for unity and development. They stressed that success and sustainability could only be achieved through transparency, addressing local concerns, and maintaining a consultative approach.
They expressed concern over the lack of facilities for the people despite heavy taxation, urging that royalty funds from minerals must be spent on public welfare projects with proper consultation.
All participants emphasized that the resolution of issues lied in collective consultation and consensus. They urged the government to refrain from unilateral policymaking and instead prioritize inclusive dialogue and agreement-based legislation.
