Khawaja Asif rejects claims of military interest in KP mineral resources

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday rejected allegations that Pakistan’s armed forces were seeking control of mineral resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), claiming that military institutions had received only one mining licence in the province, while thousands were issued during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) governments.

On October 11, 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari, acting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice, imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in KP under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, suspending the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government headed by Sohail Afridi. 

Speaking at a press conference in Sahiwal today, Asif accused the former PTI-led provincial administrations of issuing mining licences to individuals associated with the party’s leadership and others based in the United States.

“Neither defence institutions nor their subsidiary organisations have any direct or indirect ownership of mineral resources in KP,” Asif said, dismissing allegations that the military had taken control of the province’s mineral wealth or intended to do so.

Separately in an earlier post on X, the defence minister shared figures he described as official government data, stating that only 482 mineral licences or titles had been issued in KP between Pakistan’s independence in 1947 and 2010.

According to the figures, the number had risen to 1,762 by 2020 and 3,962 by February 2024, while the current total stood at 4,917. Of these, 4,133 licences were in settled districts and 784 in the merged districts, Asif said. The minister claimed that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was the only military-affiliated institution to have received a mining licence in the province.

He said the licence was issued in 2015 for the Boya area of North Waziristan, where the FWO had been involved in construction and rehabilitation activities.

خیبر پختونخوا میں معدنیات کے لائسنسز کی حقیقت (سرکاری اعداد و شمار کے مطابق):
قیام پاکستان سے 2010 تک خیبر پختونخوا میں معدنیات کے صرف 482 لائسنس/ٹائٹلز جاری ہوئے تھے۔
پی ٹی آئی کی صوبائی حکومتوں کے دور میں یہ تعداد تیزی سے بڑھی۔ 2020 تک 1,762، فروری 2024 تک 3,962، اور موجودہ…

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) October 17, 2026

Asif further stated that more than 500 new mining licence applications were under consideration, none of which had been submitted by military institutions.

“In short, the overwhelming majority of mineral licences were issued during the PTI’s tenure, while military institutions had virtually no direct participation in this sector,” he wrote on X.

Asif challenges PTI over mining licences

During the press conference, Asif questioned allegations that the emergency imposed in KP was intended to facilitate military control over the province’s natural resources.

“Thousands of licences were issued by the PTI government, including to members of the PTI leadership in KP, while the interests of people sitting in the United States were also served,” he alleged.

He said he had published details of mining licence holders on social media and referred to information shared by the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Asif urged journalists to independently examine mining licence records and seek official information regarding their allocation.

“Media is independent. You can investigate yourselves and demand that this official information be provided,” he said.

The minister also defended the armed forces against what he described as attempts to malign military institutions, arguing that their contributions to Pakistan’s security and economic interests should not be disregarded.

‘KP emergency can be withdrawn if security improves’

Turning to the political situation in KP, Asif maintained that the federal government’s intervention was aimed at restoring security rather than facilitating political or economic interests.

He said parliament could reconsider the emergency if conditions in the province improved.

“Parliament can consider the imposition of this emergency. It can also be withdrawn, but there must be a guarantee that conditions there will improve,” he said.

The defence minister said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other government representatives had engaged PTI and opposition leaders in repeated negotiations, but those efforts had failed to produce an agreement.

He also criticised PTI leaders for allegedly failing to attend the funerals of security personnel killed in terrorist attacks while mobilising large numbers of supporters for protests and marches towards Islamabad.

“Name even one funeral of a martyr that PTI leaders attended,” Asif challenged adding they will not allow KP to fall into the hands of looters again.

Asif maintained that the constitutional and legal measures undertaken in KP would produce results, saying the federal government remained committed to improving security conditions.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman accused of political opportunism

The defence minister also criticised Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his opposition to governor’s rule, accusing him of changing political positions to advance his interests.

Asif suggested that Fazlur Rehman had expected a share in the new administrative arrangement established after the removal of the PTI government.

“If they were expecting to receive some spoils from this change and did not get anything, we are there to improve the situation,” he said.

The minister recalled Fazlur Rehman’s political relationship with former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, questioning his criticism of the present arrangement.

“When I was criticising military interference, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was standing with Musharraf,” Asif said.

He claimed that Fazlur Rehman had become opposition leader during Musharraf’s rule with the administration’s support, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been denied the position.

Asif said he maintained good personal relations with the JUI-F chief but questioned the consistency of his political alliances.

“Sadly, if anyone is leading these political U-turns, it is Maulana Fazlur Rehman,” he remarked.

He also pointed to changing relations between PTI and Fazlur Rehman, saying party leaders who previously criticised the JUI-F chief were now welcoming his political support.

Defence minister praises military’s economic and diplomatic role

Asif also defended the armed forces against criticism of their role in Pakistan’s political and economic affairs, saying military institutions had contributed significantly to the country’s diplomatic and economic interests during the past three years.

He acknowledged that he had previously criticised military intervention in politics, particularly under former military rulers, but distinguished those periods from the current arrangement.

The minister credited military leadership with advancing Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, and said Field Marshal Asim Munir had spearheaded major diplomatic and defence initiatives.

He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for maintaining cooperation between civilian and military institutions.

Asif also claimed that the Fauji Foundation had paid Rs323 billion in taxes during the previous year, contrasting its performance with that of state-owned enterprises managed by the civilian bureaucracy.

He argued that military-run organisations had demonstrated stronger financial performance than several civilian-managed public-sector institutions, citing the closure of Pakistan Steel Mills.

The defence minister maintained that security remained the federal government’s foremost concern in KP and warned political parties against using the emergency to pursue positions or other political advantages.