- Govt silent on new US relations, says Rabbani.
- Provinces not consulted despite ownership rights: Raza.
- Rabbani notes provinces already rejected mineral law.
Former Senate chairman and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbani on Monday urged the federal government to immediately take parliament into confidence on various aspects of its “new US policy”.
In a statement, Rabbani said that the people have the right to know details and direction of foreign policy, stressing that history had shown the US had never proved to be a “reliable friend”.
Responding to the agreement with American metals company US Strategic Metals (USSM) on the purchase of minerals, he regretted that agreements over rare minerals were being reported by the media, rather than being shared by the government, calling this “unfortunate”.
The PPP leader further stated that real stakeholders — the provinces — should have been taken into confidence through the Council of Common Interests, adding that the government was not even acknowledging that, under Article 172 of the Constitution, the provinces were half owners of natural resources.
He pointed out that provinces had already rejected the federal government’s proposed mineral law. He urged the government to immediately take parliament into confidence over all aspects of its new US policy.
In recent months, Washington’s ties with Islamabad have improved following US President Donald Trump’s intervention in the armed conflict between Pakistan and India, which resulted in a ceasefire.
Following the intervention, the incumbent government nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Under the memorandum of understanding with Pakistan in September, the USSM would invest around $500 million in its critical minerals sector to establish mineral processing and development facilities in the country.
The partnership will begin with the immediate export of minerals such as antimony, copper, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements, while laying the groundwork for establishing USSM’s proprietary poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan. The facility will produce intermediate and finished products to meet the rising demand of the US market.
The USSM, based in the state of Missouri, is focused on producing and recycling critical minerals, which the United States Department of Energy has defined as essential in a variety of technologies related to advanced manufacturing and energy production.
Separately, the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) signed an MoU with Mota-Engil Group to explore long-term partnerships in engineering and construction. The global firm expressed interest in aligning with Pakistan’s infrastructure development goals and expanding its presence in West Asia through local job creation, technology sharing, and sustainable practices.
Pakistan also clinched a “landmark deal” with the US, negotiating a reduction in reciprocal tariffs from 29% to 19%.
