QUETTA: Politician and former senator Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani said Sunday the Mines and Minerals Act Balochistan is designed to plunder the resources of future generations, calling on political parties in parliament to play their role in revisiting the legislation to protect provincial assets.
He was addressing a press conference at the press club here.
Lashkari warned that if parliament fails to act, political parties will be forgotten by both history and the people of Balochistan. He warned that in the absence of corrective measures, they would take the matter to the “people’s court” and launch a political, constitutional, and democratic struggle with public support to stop what he termed illegal actions.
Raisani stated that on March 12, 2025, the Balochistan Assembly passed the Mines and Minerals Act, transferring sweeping powers over land and mineral resources to federal authorities. He said a seven-member committee, headed by a DG-rank officer, had been granted authority to allocate lands and mineral areas—powers he argued directly contradict the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which devolves authority to the provinces.
He said no political party objected to the Act, prompting him and his colleagues to mobilize public awareness and reach out to political leaders, lawyers, journalists, and civil society to unite against the legislation.
He alleged that deals over Reko Diq had already been finalized and described the Mines and Minerals Act as a tool to strip Balochistan of its rights.
Raisani said a constitutional petition challenging the Act is currently under hearing in court. He added that despite an executive order from the Mines Department to suspend the Act, reports of tenders and allotments continue to surface. He claimed repeated requests for official details have gone unanswered, and even efforts to obtain a copy of the chief minister’s executive order through the courts have seen no progress.
