PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to delay the immediate approval of the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill and decided to take lawmakers from both benches into confidence after stern criticism from the opposition and government members.
According to a statement issued by the Speaker’s Office, a briefing will be held on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2025 by the government in the Assembly Jirga Hall today.
The briefing will be attended by the speaker in which the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, members of the assembly and cabinet members will participate.
According to sources, the briefing will be given by officials of the relevant department and efforts will be made to remove the reservations of the members regarding the proposed bill.
The government is trying to pass the proposed bill without any amendments and therefore the briefing was organized to take the members into confidence.
Sources further said that the opposition members have rejected the bill, along with the government members, who have also expressed reservations about the bill, due to which the government is facing difficulty in passing the bill. In their address during the assembly session, the government members had described the bill as an encroachment on provincial autonomy and natural resources.
Discussion on the bill in the assembly on Tuesday
According to sources, the government is trying to get the proposed bill passed soon and during the briefing today, an attempt will be made to take the members into confidence and remove their concerns. After which, tomorrow, i.e. Tuesday, the proposed bill will be brought under consideration in the assembly and there will be a discussion on it, after which the government will try to get it passed. However, the opposition and some government members are expressing serious reservations about this bill.
Proposed bill and reservations
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2025 consists of 139 pages. In which it is written in the beginning that through this bill, the mining sector in the province will be modernized and in line with international standards and better facilities will be provided to local and international miners.
Mines and Minerals Directorate
In the proposed bill, the provincial government has proposed the establishment of a Mines and Minerals Directorate in the province. Through which licensing and exploration will be monitored. While the establishment of licensing and exploration sections in the Mines and Minerals Force has been recommended.
Although the proposed bill provides for protection of landowner rights and training and other opportunities for local communities, it is not clear whether local people are to get any share from mining operations in their respective areas.
Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority
The bill has restored the Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority. The powers and functions of the Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority have been increased from 12 to 16.
Transfer of power to federation
The proposed bill 2025 has given the federation more space than in 2017. The federation will be able to intervene to review fees, rents and royalties on the proposal of the federal mining wing in large-scale mining, while the bill proposes a broad advisory role for the federation or a federal agency. Which will be able to review the formula for reviewing the reserve price, financial guarantees, model mineral agreement. The bill proposes a minimum investment of Rs 500 million for large-scale mining. According to the bill, strategic minerals will be defined and notified by the government or through FIMA under the guidance of the Federal Mining Wing. While rare earth minerals will be identified under the guidance of the provincial government or the Federal Mining Wing.
