QUETTA: Senior politician Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani has said that although the Balochistan chief minister announced in a joint press conference with the opposition leader that implementation of the Mines and Minerals Act had been halted through an executive order, a written copy of the order has still not been presented to the court even at the third hearing on the matter.

He made these remarks on Wednesday while speaking to the media outside the Balochistan High Court, along with Barrister Mohammad Iqbal Kakar, Advocate Mohammad Riaz Ahmed, Advocate Syed Nazir Agha and others, after the hearing of a petition challenging the Act.

Criticises ‘secretive’ passage of the law and its ‘swift’ implementation after governor’s approval

Mr Raisani expressed gratitude to his legal team, lawyers and supporters, noting that they appear in large numbers at every hearing.

He criticised the law, saying it was quietly passed in the Balochistan Assembly and immediately implemented in the province after the governor’s approval. He added that the suspicious and secretive process suggested that the province’s resources and the future of coming generations were being compromised, prompting their protest and opposition.

On the role of opposition parties, he said a multi-party conference had been convened in the provincial assembly building to review the Act, and a resolution was passed to re-examine it. However, subsequent engagement with political parties represented in the assembly had met with continued silence, leaving the court and the public as the only recourse. He also asserted that no law conflicting with the Constitution would be accepted.

Barrister Iqbal Kakar said the petition seeks to place on record and make public the executive order mentioned by the chief minister.

During the hearing, the advocate general informed the court that the order exists on a phone but is not available in written form and requested more time. The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing until after Eid holidays.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026