Muhammad Nasir Ghilzai, Bureau Chief Dawn TV + Daily Dawn
Peshawar: An all-party conference of political parties at the metropolitan (city district) level was held at Awami National Party Provincial Office Bacha Khan Markaz in which the political parties gave their stand regarding the Mines and Minerals Bills and said that the Mines and Minerals Bill is a robbery on the rights of the province by the federal government and the people of the province, including the business community, all walks of life of the province will not accept the Mines and Minerals Bill under any circumstances and the path of this act will be blocked by launching a movement at every level. The all-party conference was chaired by Awami National Party City District Metropolitan President Arbab Rashid Khan, while the hosting duties were performed by District General Secretary Rehmat Shah. On this occasion, Provincial Information Secretary Awami National Party Arsalan Khan and President of Traders Babar Khan joined the business community. Zulfiqar Afghani and Zulfiqar Awan from Pakistan People’s Party, Maulana Amjad Hussain Qari Abdul Basit Isa Khan from Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Islam, Noor Ghulam from Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith, Dr. Zakir Shah from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Saeed Butt, Advocate Shakeel Waheedullah from Qaumi Watan Party, and other party workers and officials participated in large numbers. A joint statement was issued on the occasion… Statement 1..The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 is completely rejected because it is a direct attack on the provincial autonomy obtained under the Eighteenth Amendment, the authority over local resources, and the supremacy of the provincial assembly. 2. This bill is an attempt to federally control the mineral resources of the province, which is contrary to the Constitution and will damage the relationship of trust between the federation and the provinces. 3. The authority over the resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa belongs solely to the people of the province. No federal institution or bureaucracy can be allowed to control them. Number Four All-Parties Conference on the affairs and mineral resources of the province, SIFC and The All Parties Conference consider the SIFC as a conspiracy to completely control the federal government and the military establishment over the agriculture, minerals, tourism, environment and IT sectors. We completely reject the establishment of an unconstitutional and illegal council like SIFC. No. 5 The All Parties Conference demands that the role of all institutions be limited to their constitutional limits. The All Parties Conference often rejects the role of the army in the country’s politics. 6 The All Parties Conference demands that all commercial businesses run by the Pakistan Army and their assets be made public and further that all commercial activities of the army be closed so that they can focus on their constitutional responsibilities. 7 This law is not only a violation of constitutional principles but also a robbery of the rights of local communities, the working class and those associated with mining. 8 The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly should unanimously reject this bill and take constitutional action against it. And a legal struggle should be started. 9 A vigorous and organized public campaign will be launched against this bill. 10 If this bill is enforced, a province-wide protest movement will be launched. 11 The conference appealed to the writers, lawyers, civil society and youth to be part of this constitutional, political and public struggle. 12 The participants of the All Parties Conference of the Awami National Party District Peshawar on the Proposed Miners and Mines Bill 2025 emphasized that this struggle is not limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone but is a national struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution and the rights of the federal units and the establishment of a balance between the center and the province. 13 The remaining balances of the victims of the Warsak Dam and other dams in the province should be paid immediately. After the announcement, a pledge was taken from the participants of the All Parties Conference to hold a big movement at any place for the rights of the province, including a rally. A pledge was also taken to be ready to hold rallies and to jam the province at all times.
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