PESHAWAR: Minerals Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has rejected the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, 2025, and demanded of the government to take relevant stakeholders into confidence before its passage from the provincial legislature.

Speaking at a seminar at the Peshawar Press Club here on Monday, the association’s president Mohammad Afsar and other office-bearers said that the bill was presented in the provincial assembly, but no changes were made to it as per promise by the provincial government.

“During a meeting with us, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur promised incorporating the recommendations of the stakeholders in the proposed law, but no changes were made to the bill, leaving the mines’ owners with only option to reject it,” Mr Afsar regretted.

He said the draft of the amendment bill was only shared with the relevant stakeholders at the eleventh hour, giving them very little time to get through it and make suggestions.

The minerals association’s chief said the provincial assembly speaker had also promised to incorporate the recommendations of the stakeholders in the draft bill, but to no avail.

On the occasion, the association’s general secretary Syed Abdul Rauf Shah demanded of the chief minister to form a committee having representation of all the stakeholders to develop a consensus on the proposed law.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2025