PTI bars leaders from commenting on KP minerals bill 

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has barred its leaders from making public statements regarding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill, making its approval conditional on party founder Imran Khan’s consent.

According to reports, the PTI’s political committee has directed the provincial government to refrain from hasty legislation and summoned a briefing on the bill for elected representatives on April 14.

The party has also warned that disciplinary action will be taken against any member or worker who speaks publicly about the bill without authorisation. The committee stressed that the bill should not be presented in the assembly unless all stakeholders are taken into confidence.

The development comes amid internal disagreement within PTI ranks over the proposed amendments. A heated exchange reportedly took place between KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and senior party leader Atif Khan in a WhatsApp group for PTI parliamentarians.

Atif Khan opposed the minerals bill, calling it “not in the public interest.”

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) has rejected the proposed 2025 bill outright.

ANP KP President Mian Iftikhar Hussain stated that a minerals and mines act already exists, and there is no need for a new one. He argued that the proposed bill contradicts the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which guarantees provincial control over natural resources.

The controversy highlights growing friction within the PTI’s provincial leadership and raises questions over the future of legislative moves concerning the province’s lucrative minerals sector.

Earlier this week, the KP government formally legalised the cultivation and commercial use of cannabis/hemp for medicinal, research, and industrial purposes across the province, following the approval of new regulatory rules.

The new rules were approved during a meeting of the provincial cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The approved rules outline procedures for cultivation, refinement, processing, and sale of cannabis under a structured licensing system.