Mardan  -  Political parties at an all parties conference (APC) in Mardan on Friday rejected the federal government’s proposed Mines and Minerals bill, calling it a violation of the 18th Amendment and an attempt to usurp Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s natural resources.

The conference, hosted by the Awami National Party (ANP) district chapter, was chaired by Imran Manduri and attended by representatives of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, and the local bar association.

Participants said the bill aimed to place control of KP’s mineral wealth in Islamabad, bypassing the provincial government in violation of the Constitution. “This is not just about resources, this is about the sanctity of the 18th Amendment and the survival of provincial autonomy,” Imran Manduri said in his opening remarks.

Speakers warned that centralising control over KP’s minerals would deprive the province of its economic rights and deepen public mistrust. They accused the federal government of using the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to push anti-democratic decisions. “The SIFC has no legal status. It is creating division and taking decisions behind closed doors,” said Fazlur Rehman Bin Yameen of the ANP.

Representatives of the PML-N and JUI-F echoed the criticism and said they would resist any move to bypass elected provincial assemblies.

The APC concluded with a joint declaration rejecting the mines bill in its current form and demanding its immediate withdrawal.