PESHAWAR: A multi-party conference organised by the opposition Awami National Party on Wednesday rejected the draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act, 2025, describing it a `direct attack on provincial autonomy` and demanded limiting the role of all institutions to the constitutional sphere.

It warned that if the government tried to push the bill through the assembly, street protests would be staged across the province.

The moot was held at the ANP`s secretariat Bacha Khan Markaz here, with party provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain in the chair.

Leaders of political parties, business community and civil society organisations shared views about the proposed legislation on the occasion and signed a joint declaration.

A delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl was led by Maulana Attaur Rehman, while the Pakistan Peoples Party leaders led by provincial president Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha also attended. A delegation of the National Democratic Movement led by Bushra Gohar also showed up, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was represented by Arbab Sher Ali, Ali Asghar and other leaders.

The Jamaat-i-Islami`s delegation was led by Prof MohammadIbrahim, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz`s by Murtaza Javed Abbasi, that of the Qaumi Watan Party by Tariq Ahmed Khan, the Mazdoor Kisan Party`s by Adil Mahmood, that of the Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party by Khurshid Kakaji and the Awami Workers Party`s by Barrister Inayatullah.

Representatives of the chamber of commerce, lawyers, mineral experts and civil society, business organisations, Mines and Minerals Owners Association and other ANP centraland provincialleaders also participated.

The ANP provincial chief expressed satisfaction with the views of participants against the proposed law.

The declaration said that theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, was rejected in its entirety as it was a `direct attack on the provincial autonomy, authority over local resources and supremacy of the provincial assembly as granted under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

It added that the bill was an attempt to grant the Centre the control over the province`s mineral resources in an unconstitutional move, which would cause mistrust between the federation and provinces.

The declaration said only residents and their elected representatives had the authority over the province`s resources and no federal institution or bureaucracy could be allowed to grab that.It added that the multi-party conference categorically rejected any `authority of the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the Federal Minerals Wing over the affairs and mineral resources of the province` as it considered the SIFC a `conspiracy to completely control the province`s agriculture, minerals, tourism, environment and information technology sectors by the federal government and the military establishment and condemned it.

`We completely reject the establishment of an unconstitutional and illegal council like the SIFC,` it added.

The declaration demanded that the role of all institutions be limited to their constitutional roles.`The MPC categorically rejects the role of the army in the country`s politics. It demands that details of all commercial businesses by the Pakistan Army along with their assets be made public, while all commercial activities of the army be stopped so that they can focus on their constitutional responsibilities.

The declaration said that the proposed law was not only a violation of constitutional principles but also a `robbery` on the rights of local communities, working class and those associated with mining.

The moot demanded that the provincial assembly unanimously reject the minerals bill and a constitutional and legal struggle be launched against it.

It announced that a vigorous and organised public campaign would be launched against the proposed act.

`If this billis forcibly enacted, a protest movement will be launched across the province, it warned.

The declaration urged writers, legal community, civil society and youth to be part of this constitutional, political and public struggle against the proposed legislation.

The participants emphasised that the struggle was not limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but it was rather a national struggle for the rights of federating units, the supremacy of the Constitution and the establishment of a balance between the Centre and the province.

They endorsed the opposition of political parties in Balochistan to the minerals bill passed by the provincial assembly and demanded its immediate withdrawal to remove unrest among people.