Punjab govt proposes mining in protected areas

LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Punjab government has proposed a major policy move to promote the mining sector by allowing mineral exploration and mining activities in the protected areas.

For this purpose, three bills were moved in the Punjab Assembly.

The proposed legislation seeks amendments to existing laws related to forests, protected areas, and wildlife.

The draft bills include amendments to the Forest Act 1927 under the Forest (Amendment) Act 2026, the Punjab Protected Areas Act 2020 under the Punjab Protected Areas (Amendment) Act 2026, and the Punjab Wildlife Act 1974 under the Punjab Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2026.

According to the text of the proposed legislation, valuable mineral resources located in forest areas could not be utilized due to legal restrictions, while unclear laws had caused delays and suspension of mining projects.

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The bills propose granting special permissions for mining activities in protected and forest areas for development and mineral projects of national importance.

A legal framework would also be developed to allow the use of forest land for mining purposes.

The government maintains that the utilization of mineral resources is essential to align with the National Minerals Policy and to boost the economy, create employment opportunities, and increase revenue.

It also stated that introducing a regulated system was necessary to curb illegal mining.

The Punjab Assembly has referred all three draft bills to the relevant standing committee for a period of two months.

After committee approval, the bills will be presented again in the assembly for passage, followed by final approval from the Governor of Punjab.