Qaseem Shah:
QUETTA: Former Balochistan Chief Minister and National Party President Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch has formally challenged the recently passed Mines and Minerals Act in court, citing serious concerns regarding provincial rights and control over natural resources.
Dr. Baloch was accompanied by National Party Balochistan President Aslam Baloch, Senior Vice President Mir Shawas Bizenjo, Central Information Secretary Ali Ahmed Langove, Advocate Changez Hayee Baloch, Mashkoor Baloch, Dr. Ramzan Hazara, Riaz Zehri, Haji Farooq Shahwani, Agha Zain Shah, Younas Baloch, Hafeez Ali Bakhsh, Anil Ghori, and other party leaders during the legal move.
It is worth mentioning that the Mines and Minerals Act was unanimously passed by the Balochistan Assembly in March this year, with both treasury and opposition benches supporting it at the time. However, following its passage, several opposition parties, including the National Party, expressed reservations over its clauses. They accused the government of overlooking provincial interests and later announced their intention to challenge the bill in court.
In addition, prominent political figure Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani had already filed a separate petition against the Mines and Minerals Act in the Balochistan High Court, calling for its review on similar grounds.
National Party leaders have reiterated that the bill, in its current form, undermines the constitutional rights of Balochistan over its mineral resources, emphasizing that legal action is necessary to protect the province’s interests.
