ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani on Monday urged the federal government to immediately take parliament into confidence regarding its new policy towards the United States, following media reports about the sale of rare minerals and an alleged proposal to offer Pasni Port to Washington.
In a strongly worded statement, Rabbani criticized the government for keeping both parliament and the public in the dark about the evolving nature of Pakistan’s relations with the US. It is the right of the people to know the direction of foreign policy. In history, the US has never been a reliable friend, he stated.
Referring to the sale of precious and rare minerals to US Strategic Metals (USSM), Rabbani said it was “unfortunate” that the deal came to light through media leaks instead of official disclosure. He asserted that provinces are the real stakeholders in mineral resources under Article 172 of the Constitution, which grants them 50 percent ownership of natural wealth.
“The federal government has failed to realize that provinces should have been taken into confidence through the Council of Common Interests, he added, recalling that provinces had earlier rejected the federal government sponsored minerals law, especially in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where debates on resource control remain heated.
Rabbani warned that the reported plan to offer Pasni Port to the US could have serious repercussions on Pakistan’s regional relationships, urging the government to clarify its position and “take parliament into full confidence” on all aspects of the new US policy.
The controversy comes as Pakistan enters a new phase of economic and strategic engagement with the United States. Last month, the American firm USSM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to invest around $500 million in establishing mineral processing facilities in Pakistan.
The first consignment of rare earth mineral samples, including antimony, copper concentrate, neodymium, and praseodymium, was recently shipped to the US prepared locally in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has joined the chorus of criticism, demanding that the government disclose the details of all secret deals with Washington. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram warned that such reckless and one-sided agreements” could further inflame the already volatile situation in the country.
He said the PTI would never accept deals struck at the expense of the people or the state’s interests, calling for parliamentary oversight and public transparency.
However, military sources have dismissed the Financial Times report about Pasni Port, describing the claim as a commercial idea rather than an official policy proposal.