Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has shared figures on mining licences in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), denying military institutions’ involvement in pending applications. He said more than 500 applications are under consideration, but none came from a military institution.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Asif outlined the number of mining licences issued in the province since Pakistan’s creation. According to his figures, authorities had granted 482 licences or titles by 2010.
The total increased to 1,762 by 2020 during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial governments. It then rose to 3,962 by February 2024 and currently stands at 4,917, he said.
Of the total, 4,133 licences cover settled districts, while 784 relate to the merged districts.
FWO Received One Mining Licence, Minister Says
Asif stated that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a military engineering organisation, received only one mining licence during the period covered by his figures.
Authorities granted the licence in 2015 for the Boya area of North Waziristan. At the time, FWO was involved in construction and rehabilitation work in the area.
The minister argued that the figures showed most licences were issued during PTI’s tenure in KP. He also maintained that military institutions had no direct involvement in the mining sector beyond the single licence granted to FWO.
“More than 500 new applications are currently under consideration, none of which is from a military institution,” the minister said.
Fazlur Rahman Raises Concerns Over KP’s Mineral Resources
Asif’s statement comes amid political opposition to the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has criticised the move, linking it to concerns over control of the province’s mineral resources.
Speaking at the Mufti Mahmood Conference in Multan, Fazl alleged that emergency rule had paved the way for transferring control of mineral resources in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) from the provincial government to the federation.
“The resources of FATA had become part of the province, but by imposing an emergency, you have handed them over to the federation,” he said.
Fazl described the development as an attempt to take control of the region’s mineral wealth. He also accused authorities of negotiating deals with the United States at the expense of local resources.
“Remember, we will no longer accept this kind of politics,” he said, adding that China and Russia also had reservations about the developments. He further alleged that foreign powers were being brought into the region.
The JUI-F chief also warned against concentrating excessive powers in one authority, arguing that such an arrangement could eventually overwhelm those exercising that power.
Mohsin Naqvi Comments on Political Discontent Over Governor’s Rule
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed on Friday that a political party chief was unhappy with the new administrative arrangement in KP. He linked the alleged discontent to the leader not receiving a share in the arrangement, including the governorship.
“He is upset over not getting a share in Governor’s Rule or the governorship,” Naqvi said without identifying the political leader.
The remarks add to the political debate surrounding Governor’s Rule, provincial authority and control of KP’s mineral resources. Asif’s figures, meanwhile, offer the government’s account of the licences issued and applications currently under consideration.
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