KOHAT: Speakers at a multi-party conference on Sunday rejected the proposed mines and mineral bill and vowed to stop the assembly from approving the proposed legislation.

They also asked the federal government not to roll back the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying such a move will be tantamount to usurping the constitutional rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The moot was held under the auspices of the Awami National Party.

ANP district president Masood Khalil and secretary general Dr Ishtiaq Khattak said their party would “go to any extent” to stop the assembly from approving the proposed legislation.

Warns centre against ‘rolling back’ 18th Amendment

President of the Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hafiz Rasheed Paracha complained that there was a need to employ modern mining techniques as the blasting damaged 90 per cent of the precious stones. He said it would not only benefit the local population but increase the tax net as well.

Noted among other speakers were city mayor Qari Sher Zaman, chairman of the Grand Businessmen Alliance Haji Abid and secretary general Baz Mohammad, chairman of the Southern districts of the CNG Filling Stations Sajid Islam, former MPA Mussarrat Shafi, former president of the Kohat Bar Association Abdur Rauf, divisional president of the Pakistan Peoples Party Nadir Khattak advocate.

They lamented that the federal government didn’t pay full royalty on electricity, natural gas and oil to the province, leaving the areas underdeveloped.

The speakers also complained that the local educated youth were denied jobs, while officers from other provinces were being appointed. They said after protests were staged and the work on oil and gas wells were stopped, residents were hired but that, too, as for watchmen’s and clerical jobs.

The speakers said KP produced a bulk of electricity from the local dams but the residents were subjected to 16-18-hour long power cuts.

They, however, insisted that loadshedding hours were “negligible” in Punjab.

The speakers said KP had huge reserves of natural gas but it was largely supplied to Punjab, prompting KP residents, especially women, to take to the streets against the gas denial.

They also said the government made huge earnings in the shape of royalties and taxes on locally produced electricity, gas, oil, gypsum, marble, salt, gems, copper and multiple tariffs from industries.

The speakers said all decisions about issues must be made in consultation with stakeholders and with consensus.

They urged the federal government to refrain from unilaterally making policies, saying such conduct will widen the gulf among provinces and the centre.

The speakers called for the government’s focus on the provision of quality education to children and promoting investments in mineral, agricultural, livestock and industrial sectors.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2025