PESHAWAR: Members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) rebelled against their own government on Monday by boycotting an official briefing on the controversial Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025.

They declared that the proposed law would be acceptable only if it was approved by the incarcerated party founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan.

The Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, was approved by the provincial cabinet last February and tabled in the assembly on March 4.

It, however, came under fire before from even within the PTI as MPA Shakil Khan declared the proposed legislation a conspiracy against the province`s mineral resources.

`I request the law minister not to table the bill. If we make this mistake on someone`s behalf, our future generations will never forgive us,` he said, requesting the provincial government to disown the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

The bill was laid before the provincial assembly only after Speaker Babar SaleemSwati announced that it`ll be passed only after all members accepted it.

He also declared that members from both treasury and opposition benches would be briefed on the proposed law by officials from the mines and minerals development department.

On Monday, treasury and opposition members gathered to attend the briefing, but even before officials got ready for highlighting salient features of the bill, treasury members insisted that the proposed legislation will lead to the shifting of the provincial government`s control over the local mines and minerals to the federal government.

Mr Swati said that a debate started on the bill across the country and within the party as well but it was not for the first time that the centre had sent a bill to a province.

`Several laws were sent by the federal government in the past as well and this also came from the petroleum division. It went to the cabinet after deliberation at the finance, law and mines and minerals departments,` he said.

Mr Swati said the mines and minerals department officials should be allowed to hold the briefing before taking the lawmakers` questions.

He said a debate would be held during the consideration stage as well and if the house desired, the bill could be sent to the house or a special committee.

`In the meanwhile [during discussionon the bill], we will have some directions from PTI founder Imran Khan,` he said.

However, as soon as the briefing began, the lawmakers objected and said that it was an attack on the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Despite objections, mines and minerals development secretary Mutahir Zeb held the briefing and said the chief minister had proposed changes that were added to the bill.

He added that the cabinet made around nine changes before the bill was tabled in the provincial assembly.

Director general (mines and minerals) Junaid Khan said that the Mines and Minerals Acts of 2017 and 2025 were almost similar with fewer changes.

Member of the opposition Awami National Party Nisar Muhammad complained that copies of the Mines and Minerals Bill, 2017, weren`t available to them so they couldn`t compare it with the previous law. PTI lawmaker Anwar Zeb Khan from Bajaur tribal district said members of the ruling party would accept the briefing and the bill after their approval by PTI founder Imran Khan. He urged all lawmakers from the merged tribal districts to boycott the briefing.

Majority of the members from the tribal districts left the hall, prompting Mr Saleem to order distribution of the bill`s hard copies to members.

He also declared that another briefing for lawmakers would take place next Monday (April 21).ANP member Nisar later told reporters the draft bill was sent in by the SIFC.

He rejected the bill saying it is against the 18th Constitutional Amendment and is an encroachment by the centre on the province`s autonomy.

`The 18th Constitutional Amendment is being rolled back, and decentralisation is being discussed. This [passage of the Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025] is being done to please Americans, who want to counter China,` he said.

Also during a news conference, members from the treasury and opposition benches said they would never allow anything against the province`s interests.

`The province`s interests should come first,` PML-N member and Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah said.

He said the opposition would only support any law which was in the province`s interest. He said many lawmakers had yet to go through the bill.

Law minister Aftab Alam Afridi informed reporters that the bill would be discussed in the assembly.

PPP member Ahmad Karim Kundi said mines and Minerals was a provincial subject.

`The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Income Tax Bill, 2025 also came from the federal government and this too has come from the Special Investment Facilitation Council,` he said adding he was happy that the Mines and Minerals Bill 2025 was being discussed.-