QUETTA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) on Wednesday challenged the Mines and Mineral Act 2025 in the Balochistan High Court, arguing the act passed by the provincial assembly is detrimental to the people of Balochistan.

A constitutional petition against the recently passed act was filed by senior lawyer Senator Kamran Murtaza on behalf of the party’s provincial chief Senator Maulana Abdul Wasay.

“The Mines and Mineral Act adopted by the Balochistan Assembly is not acceptable to JUI-F,” Maulana Wasay said in the petition.

Mr Murtaza, who filed the petition on the directive of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, vowed to fight the law on all fronts.

“All natural resources belong to the people of Balochistan who are the real owners of these resources, and we will not allow anyone to deprive the due right of the people of Balochistan,” Mr Murtaza and Maulana Wasay told the media after filing the case.

The legal challenge comes amid claims from the provincial government that some JUI-F members had supported the bill when it was in the assembly.

The JUI-F leadership has issued show-cause notices to its members of the provincial assembly who supported the act, the party said.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2025