Former Senator Lashkari Raisani to Challenge Mines and Minerals Act in Court, Accuses Government of Resource Plunder in Balochistan

QUETTA – Senior politician and former senator Nawabzada Haji Mir Lashkari Raisani has announced his decision to challenge the recently passed Mines and Minerals Act in court, vowing to protect Balochistan’s resources and rights at all costs.

Speaking at a press conference at the Quetta Press Club on Tuesday, Raisani criticized members of the opposition who, according to him, handed over the province’s resources to external forces. “They must either bring a resolution against the Act or resign from parliament,” he stated. Raisani emphasized that Balochistan’s issues are national in scope but have been misrepresented as class conflicts over the past 70 years to avoid real solutions.

He condemned the alleged exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources through coercive means, accusing a Karachi-based “fictitious institution” of being funded to facilitate the plunder. Raisani warned that bypassing transparency and due process only serves to increase unrest in the province. “These actions are poisoning the future of our youth and destroying our educational institutions,” he added.

Raisani accused both the government and the opposition of being complicit in the exploitation, asserting that there is effectively “no opposition” in Balochistan today. He declared that the recently passed Mines and Minerals Act strips the province of authority over its own mineral wealth, making locals feel like strangers in their own land.

He called for political parties to be taken into confidence as he moves forward with legal proceedings against the Act. Referring to past incidents, Raisani claimed that key legislative actions such as the DHA Act and decisions regarding the Reko Diq mining project were pushed through under suspicious circumstances, ignoring provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment.

He also highlighted the reversal of plans to make Gwadar a winter capital and lamented the undermining of historic decisions made by the 2008 provincial government. Raisani held political parties responsible for handing over Balochistan’s \$600 billion Reko Diq assets to external entities and stressed the need for electoral accountability.

Commenting on the current state of the province, he said that Balochistan is undergoing a severe crisis, with worsening conditions expected in the near future. “Our educational institutions often remain closed, and our centuries-old cultural order is being dismantled,” he said.

Raisani urged political workers and social leaders to raise awareness and resist those destabilizing the province for personal gain. He also praised Chief of Sarawan Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani for consistently defending the province’s resources and boycotting meetings related to controversial deals like Reko Diq.

Responding to questions, he criticized deliberate efforts to alienate the public from parliamentary politics, warning that a path is once again being paved for selected individuals to dominate the political landscape for the next five years. He called on the youth to learn from past elections and block the way for those enabling exploitation.