The federal government\u2019s renewed push for economic streamlining through mining ventures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan presents a complex stress test for our federation. And right now, the method is dangerously flirting with madness. At stake is not just $6 trillion in mineral wealth but the integrity of the constitutional order.
\nNo one can deny the urgency of out-of-box solutions to win economic stability.
\nHowever, concerns raised by constitutional experts and provincial leaders are not without merit. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains locked in gridlock. Balochistan\u2019s legislature was allegedly blindsided by the imposition of mere \u201cadvisory\u201d roles. These developments risk disempowering the very assemblies meant to serve as bulwarks of provincial autonomy.
\nThe irony cuts deep. In case there\u2019s no damage control, the parties that championed devolution in 2010-the PML-N and PPP-would go down in history as facilitating its quiet erosion. Their legacy should be one of balanced progress, not centralised overreach.
\nThe Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), with claims to \u201cfast-track\u201d development and unlock investor access, can play a pivotal role here as a bridge (not a bypass).
\nTrue progress requires structured, formal, and binding collaboration with provincial governments. Before any policy shift affecting provincial rights to natural resources, revenue structures, or environmental oversight, provincial assemblies must be consulted as constitutional stakeholders.
\nIslamabad hopes Pakistan\u2019s mineral reserves are the golden ticket to break free from the IMF\u2019s chokehold. But unless this potential is converted into tangible gains for local communities, from Mohmand to Chagai, we risk repeating the patterns of exclusion that have long fuelled resentment in the peripheries. This time, the model needs to be different: one that integrates local insight prioritises environmental safeguards, and reinforces institutional trust.
\nThe goal should not be to stall progress but to anchor it in legitimacy. Strengthen the Council of Common Interests; mandate binding provincial input before federal amendments, and demand environmental management plans reviewed by provincial authorities, not rubber-stamped in Islamabad boardrooms. Let Parliament serve as the constitutional compass it is meant to be.
\nWith thoughtful coordination, the mining boom can become a turning point, for the economy and the federation itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The federal government\u2019s renewed push for economic streamlining through mining ventures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan presents a complex stress test for our federation. And right now, the method is dangerously flirting with madness. At stake is not just $6 trillion in mineral wealth but the integrity of the constitutional order. No one can deny […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-474506","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n