The head of Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, denounced Wednesday the bill and minerals proposed by the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), calling it “non-acceptable” and a violation of provincial autonomy.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Fazl accused the federal government and the “international powers” of trying to take control of Pakistan’s natural resources. He warned that if “sensible decisions” were not taken, his party went down the street to protest.
“This legislation undermines the 18th amendment and undermines the rights of the provinces,” said Fazl. “We will not allow the center or a foreign power to claim our resources.”
He alleged that the federal government had designed alternative legal mechanisms to bypass constitutional guarantees, putting pressure on the provinces by forming new authorities to manage their mineral wealth.
“If a country wants to invest, he must approach the provincial government by the center and respect local conditions,” he added.
The proposed bill, presented by Pakistan in power Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) in the KP assembly, aroused criticism of the opposition parties and within PTI itself. Critics argue that the law may centralize the control of KP resources and weaken the provincial authority.
The KP government defended the bill, saying that it aims to regulate investments, slow down illegal exploitation and arouse foreign interest in the province’s mineral sector.
Fazl also commented on the KP security situation, urging the government to engage in dialogue with Afghanistan and to establish a clear policy for repatriation and registration of Afghan refugees.
His remarks followed information according to which the founder of the PTI, Imran Khan, currently in prison, had asked his party not to approve the legislation without his consultation with the chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other political leaders.
