Peshawar (The COW News Digital) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has said the province will extract and sell its mineral resources, stressing that their effective utilisation is necessary for economic development, prosperity and improved opportunities for local residents.
Speaking at a ceremony in Peshawar, Kundi said mineral resources should be used to support development and that the provincial government should take practical steps to benefit from the province’s natural wealth.
“Minerals are meant to be extracted. We will extract them and sell them,” he said, emphasising the importance of putting the province’s resources to productive use.
The governor also criticised the previous provincial government, alleging that some of its decisions came from Kabul and Kandahar rather than Islamabad. He further claimed that certain fugitive elements associated with the former government were operating from across the border and encouraging people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Kundi alleged that militants had previously been resettled in the province and had now taken up arms again. He also claimed that people had been brought from Afghanistan and settled in the region.
He said there would be no compromise on maintaining peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and stressed that the state would confront those who took up arms against Pakistan. He added that action should be taken against individuals who refused to accept the country’s Constitution and laws.
Referring to the security situation elsewhere in the country, Kundi said operations were also continuing against various militant organisations, including the Balochistan Liberation Army, in Balochistan.
The governor also expressed disagreement with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his position on the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Kundi referred to Fazlur Rehman’s concerns about security, including his claim that he could not freely move around his own area. While acknowledging the challenges facing the province, the governor argued that it would be incorrect to suggest that the provincial government was making no efforts to maintain law and order.
He said he was disappointed by Fazlur Rehman’s recent remarks, recalling the JUI-F chief’s assertion that governments could neither be formed nor run without his support. Kundi responded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had been formed without him and would continue to function.
The governor also questioned Fazlur Rehman about the mineral resources available in Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu, arguing that the province needed to explore opportunities for economic growth and resource development.
Kundi said foreign companies, Pakistani firms and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government could invest jointly in mineral-related projects. Such cooperation, he suggested, could help unlock the province’s natural resources and support development.
He invited Fazlur Rehman to work alongside the provincial leadership for peace and prosperity, saying he was willing to cooperate with those committed to development.
The governor’s remarks place mineral extraction and investment at the centre of the province’s development debate, alongside continuing disagreements over security, political leadership and the proposed governor’s rule.
