Balochistan High Court Suspends Implementation of Mines and Minerals Act, Bans New Allotments
**Quetta:** The Balochistan High Court has suspended the implementation of the Mines and Minerals Act and barred all new allotments under the law until further notice.
A bench comprising Chief Justice **Muhammad Kamran Khan Mullahkhel** and Justice **Najamuddin Mengal** issued the order while seeking an immediate response from the provincial government. During the hearing, the court expressed displeasure over the failure of the Advocate General to submit a reply.
Leaders of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, including **Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal** and former senator **Lashkari Raisani**, appeared before the court along with their legal counsel.
The petitioners argued that the act undermines provincial autonomy by transferring key powers to the federal government, potentially depriving local communities of control over their natural resources.
Following the hearing, Raisani and Ziaratwal described the court’s decision as a significant step toward protecting the province’s resources, vowing to continue legal and constitutional efforts against what they termed undue interference in provincial authority.
