SWABI: Frontier Mines Owners Association and leaders of political parties on Sunday alleged that Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was formed to “loot the mineral sources found in the Pakhtun belt”, but said they would not allow it to happen.

Addressing a news conference at the Swabi Press Club, the association’s president Haji Sirzamin Khan, chairman Haji Gul Zamin Shah, senior vice-president Fazal Qayyum, general secretary Najab Khan, ANP former provincial general secretary Salim Khan Advocate, and PPP information secretary Safdar Ali Advocate said that the propsosed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025 and SIFC were both controversial, and thus should be done away with.

Later, they also staged a protest demonstration and marched from the press club to Karnal Sher Khan Chowk. They were chanting slogans against both the federal and provincial governments.

They were also holding placards inscribed with different slogans, stressing that the KP should have right over its resources and benefits of the resources should go to the people of the province. The participants vowed not to allow the exploitation of the KP resources for the benefit of others. They said that the principle of provincial autonomy should be upheld in all circumstances and KP should be allowed to reap full benefits of its minerals.

Salim Advocate called for stopping the exploitation of Pakhtuns. “We should be given our right on our resources. KP produces surplus electricity, but its residents remain without power for hours. Who is responsible for this mess? We will oppose any plans to snatch our minerals.”

The other participants questioned as to what was wrong with the Minerals Act, 2017, which was now being abolished and new piece of legislation was being brought up.

They said that the reservations of the mine owners were not given consideration before the draft of the new legislation was finalised.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2025