Kundi says K-P's people will have 'first right' to province’s natural resources

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday said the province's people would have the "first right" to its natural resources, pledging that their interests would remain his priority while he held office. Addressing a ceremony marking the annual Urs of Darbar-e-Aalia Murshidabad Sharif in Peshawar, Kundi said the province was rich in natural resources, including gas, minerals, electricity and oil. “My first priority is the protection of the people. As long as I hold this office, the first right over our resources will belong to the people of our province,” he said. Kundi said residents of K-P had made immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, adding that restoring peace required collective efforts. “Although we may have differences on many issues, we must stand united to establish peace in the province,” he said. He said the province had suffered from terrorism for a long time, with schoolchildren, security forces, police personnel and journalists among those who had made countless sacrifices for peace. “Our mission is to make the province a cradle of peace,” he said. Read: K-P is rich in minerals; we will 'extract and sell them', says Kundi The governor highlighted that his first priority was to restore peace. He added that the people of the province had distinguished themselves in various fields, adding that more than half of the national cricket team's players belonged to K-P. “We have immense talent in the field of sports,” he said. Kundi also urged religious scholars to play their role in promoting peace, saying people listened to and respected their views. He said children wanted to lead full and peaceful lives, while residents sought opportunities for business and employment. “It is our shared responsibility to play our full part in the development, prosperity and peace of the province,” he said, adding that the government would welcome constructive suggestions for improving the province and its cities. The governor also pledged to work with all stakeholders to bring peace, prosperity and development to K-P. Mineral rights On October 11, Governor's rule and an emergency were imposed, transferring executive authority from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government to the governor. An 11-member advisory council was formed to assist him in overseeing provincial administrative affairs. The federal government also established a separate administrative structure for 12 districts, including an Area Representative and Development Council to facilitate local representation and development planning. On October 17, six days after governor’s rule was imposed, Kundi said the province’s mineral resources would be extracted and sold, inviting domestic and foreign companies to invest through joint ventures with Pakistani firms and local communities. “Our province is rich in minerals, and we will extract and sell these minerals. We will have many agreements signed so that people can prosper,” he said. He argued that such partnerships would create jobs, support local businesses and improve economic conditions, and also called for the extraction of the province’s oil and gas reserves. Read more: K-P governor's rule to end in six months, emergency to continue until peace restored: Tariq Fazal The remarks fuelled concerns among opposition parties that governor’s rule could be used to gain control over the province’s mineral wealth. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry subsequently rejected any link between the imposition of the emergency and mineral extraction, saying the move had been made to address the security situation. He also said the federal government had maintained that K-P and Balochistan would have the first right to their respective mineral resources, with the proceeds spent on provincial development. The question of control over the province's mineral resources has been contentious for a while. In April 2025, political parties across the provincial assembly opposed the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill, arguing that it threatened provincial autonomy and the assembly's authority over natural resources. In January this year, a separate Mineral Development and Management Company Bill triggered criticism from PTI leaders and supporters. The provincial government defended the legislation as a measure to regulate the mining sector and ensure that local communities benefited from mineral wealth. However, its implementation was subsequently put on hold amid public and political backlash.

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