PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has announced to launch a campaign against the proposed Mines and Minerals Act, 2025, and threatened to march on Islamabad in case the bill is not withdrawn from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly immediately.

Following a meeting of a special committee of the party about mines and mineral law, ANP central president Senator Aimal Walki Khan told a press conference at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Monday that they would mobilise people for protection of their natural resources.

“The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa completely reject Mines and Minerals Act. Our fight will no longer be limited to the proposed law rather it will further intensify our struggle. We believe that all mines and minerals in Pakhtunkhwa are under the control of military institutions. Till today, this control was illegal, but now it is being given legal justification,” he alleged.

Accompanied by ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain, general secretary Hussain Shah Yousufzai, senior leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and others, Aimal Wali said that his party’s struggle would continue until the 18th Amendment was implemented in real sense. “The mines and minerals law is a ‘robbery’ of the rights of the nation in broad daylight. This controversial law should be withdrawn from the assembly immediately. We believe that the proposed law is meant to empower Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to hand over natural resources to army,” he added.

Aimal Wali says ‘either give us rights, or give us freedom’ will be slogan of their movement

He said that ANP would declare war against the bill if it was not withdrawn. “Our position is the same as what Bacha Khan had said in the first legislative assembly. We are ready to go together, but the condition will be that nation will be given the right and power over its natural resources. From August 12, 1948, till today, we have faced every oppression and terrorism of the state. Despite every oppression and undemocratic move, we have not left the path of democracy and Constitution,” he said.

Aimal Wali said that the proposed law made it clear as to why suicide bombers targeted ANP “The Act shows why our paths were blocked in the 2013, 2018 and 2024 elections? Wherever there are natural resources in Pakhtunkhwa, there are security issues. Locals cannot go to Waziristan, but there is a 900-kilometre-long Chilgoza (pine nuts) orchard. Watchmen are guarding Chilgoza orchards instead of guarding the country. When we demand rights, the state taunts us,” he said.

He said that ANP would soon hold all-party conferences at district and provincial levels on the proposed law to take people of every school of thought into confidence. He said that in the months of April and May, an awareness campaign would be launched across the province about the Act.

Aimal Wali said that conferences and discussions would be held in colleges, universities and seminaries to create awareness among people about the proposed law. Similarly, in July, there will be protests against the proposed law at tehsil level and in August there will be protests in district headquarters across the province. He added that ANP would hold a protest demonstration in Peshawar in September if the Act was not withdrawn.

“The place of our protest will be the same, from where facilitation is being done for the army in the form of this proposed law. We will send this government and parliament home along with this controversial Act. Those members, who cannot protect the rights of the nation, do not have the right to sit in the assembly. The same practice will be repeated in Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.

The ANP leader said that they would head to Islamabad in October if their demands were not taken seriously. “If 18th Amendment is not implemented, we will go two steps further. The ruling classes will try its best, if we do not get control over resources, our paths will separate. ‘Either give us rights, or give us freedom’ will be the main slogan of our movement. We have sacrificed many things for the sake of the country. But if Pakistan snatches away my child’s food, then rebellion is better for us,” he added.

He said that if worker or office-bearer of his party was harmed in the struggle, the entire responsibility would rest with the state.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2025