PHCBA rejects proposed mines, minerals bill

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) has outright rejected the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill 2025, terming it an attempt by the federal government to seize control of the province’s natural resources.

In a strongly worded resolution, the association warned the provincial government against approving the bill, threatening to launch a protest movement if it went ahead with the legislation.

The resolution was passed during a general body meeting of the association which was convened to discuss the proposed legislation.

PHCBA President Fida Gul, acting Secretary General Ijaz Ali Shah, senior lawyers, mining experts, members of the provincial assembly, and civil society representatives attended the meeting. The session was called on the requisition of Tariq Afghan and Ijaz Mohmand.

The meeting unanimously condemned the proposed legislation, calling it a direct assault on provincial autonomy. The participants maintained that any legislation without consultation amounted to an encroachment on the province’s rights.

Ijaz Ali Shah said that the bill posed a threat to provincial autonomy and that lawyers had joined hands to form a unified stance on the issue.

Afsar Khan, President of the Mines Association, criticised the bill for being drafted without input from the stakeholders.

He said certain clauses had been kept secret and all powers were being concentrated in the hands of the licensing authority. He noted that for large-scale mining, a security deposit of Rs500 million had been proposed, while the province would receive only 2 to 3 percent of the share.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Nisar Baz opposed the bill, stating that it was against the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “If anyone can prove that this legislation benefits the province, we will support it. Otherwise, we will strongly oppose it in the assembly,” he declared. He further stressed that minerals were a provincial subject.