PESHAWAR: Awami National Party central president Aimal Wali Khan on Tuesday said that his party won’t allow the passage of the Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, in the provincial assembly, considering the act to be ‘treachery’ to the people.

Addressing a seminar arranged by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association on the proposed legislation here, Mr Aimal said the ANP would continue working for the complete implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

He said that the centre should give smaller provinces their constitutional rights. “Bacha Khan raised voice for Pakhtun rights around 105 years ago. Only Pakhtuns have the rights to the natural resources of their land,” he said.

The ANP leader said even under British imperialism, there was democracy but after the creation of Pakistan, the government was handed over to Qayyum Khan and Pakhtun leaders were jailed.

Aimal says minerals bill to be resisted

He added that Wali Khan signed the 1973 Constitution on the condition that Pakhtun rights would be respected in the country.

“The 1973 Constitution only gave the control of minerals under sea to the federal government, while the rest were to be in the control of the provinces where they existed,” he said.

Mr Aimal said Asfandyar Wali Khan managed to rename the province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, winning a crucial battle for the provincial autonomy.

He, however, regretted that the KP government had been handed over to such a clique who was hell bent on handing over the provincial autonomy to others.

The ANP leader said he could not stay silent in such a situation as his silence would be an injustice to the people of KP.

He questioned who was holding sway over the pine nut trade in Waziristan region and mining in the mountains of Mohmand and Bajaur tribal districts.

Mr Aimal alleged that the Parachinar Road had been closed for the last six months for the reason that lithium reserves had been discovered there.

He said a “mafia” was holding control over the province’s mineral wealth but its ownership was being snatched.

“Those living in KP, no matter which language they speak are Pakhtuns and all of them will resist this minerals bill,” he said.

The ANP leader asked the people to support him against the proposed legislation and said his party did not recognise any changes to the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

He said the state had to give Pakhtuns, Baloch and Sindhis their due rights otherwise they would protest.

Mr Aimal said that the people of the province had never bowed to the British Raj, so there was no question of bowing to anyone in the current times.

PHCBA president Aminur Rehman Yousafzai welcomed Mr Khan and hailed his services. PHCBA general secretary Ashfaq Duadzai and Peshawar District Bar Association president Qaiser Zaman also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2025