PESHAWAR: Over 600 closed mineral leases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are depriving the province of at least 1bn rupees [approximately 3.57mn US dollars] in annual revenue, provincial lawmakers confirmed on Monday, amid renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s mining policies and governance failures.
During a session chaired by Babar Saleem Swati, Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly heard that 3,200 operational mineral leases currently generate more than 6bn rupees [approximately 21.43mn US dollars] annually and sustain employment for around 160,000 people. However, the closed mineral leases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa represent a significant revenue gap and expose serious regulatory lapses.
Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Ahmad Khan Kundi raised the issue, prompting officials to disclose that 600 leases remain inactive. Law Minister Aftab Alam acknowledged the losses but said the provincial government now collects 8bn rupees [approximately 28.57mn US dollars] annually from active leases. He stated that the controversial Mines and Minerals Bill would proceed only after former prime minister Imran Khan approved it.
Kundi accused the government of undermining provincial autonomy by allowing federal representation in the proposed council, which would hold key decision-making authority. The house referred the matter to a standing committee for further examination.
In a separate development, Sajjadullah Khan, an MPA from Kohistan, exposed a large-scale financial scandal involving forged construction companies, ghost contractors, and bounced cheques. Speaker Swati said the Public Accounts Committee had launched a formal investigation and vowed to expand inquiries across other districts. “This is the first such scandal where no politician is involved—it’s the work of bureaucrats and state officials,” he said.
During the question hour, the assembly learned that authorities had shut down 218 factories across the province for various reasons. Excise officials also reported registering 269,000 vehicles over the past three years, which brought in more than 1bn rupees [approximately 3.57mn US dollars] in registration fees.
The assembly also passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Trade Testing Board Bill 2025 without opposition, after Special Assistant on Technical Education Tufail Anjum introduced the legislation. Lawmakers wrapped up the session by tabling two additional bills: the Education Regulatory Amendment Bill and the Road Transport Workers Amendment Bill.
