ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairperson and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbani on Monday urged the federal government to immediately take Parliament into confidence regarding its “new US policy,” following reports of mineral export deals and a purported plan to offer Pasni Port to Washington.
In a statement, Rabbani criticised the government for failing to brief the legislature or the public on the “dynamics of the new relationship with the United States.” He said, “It is the right of the people to know the details and direction of the foreign policy. In history, the US has never been a reliable friend to depend upon.”
Rabbani expressed concern over reports that American metals firm US Strategic Metals (USSM) had reached an agreement with Pakistan to invest roughly $500 million in the country’s critical minerals sector. “It is unfortunate that such agreements are being reported in the media rather than shared by the government,” he said.
He emphasised that the real stakeholders — the provinces — must be consulted through the Council of Common Interests (CCI), reminding the government that Article 172 of the Constitution establishes provinces as 50 per cent owners of natural resources. “The federal government fails to realise that Article 172 is in operation, and the provinces are joint owners of mineral resources,” he stated.
The former Senate chairperson recalled that provinces had already rejected the federal government’s proposed minerals law, which has particularly faced opposition in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reigniting debates over resource control and provincial autonomy.
Rabbani also described as “alarming” international media reports suggesting that Pasni Port might be offered to the United States. “This will have very serious repercussions on other regional relationships,” he warned, urging the government to brief Parliament on all aspects of its new policy towards Washington.
The PPP leader’s remarks come as Pakistan and the US move toward implementing a deal for the export and processing of rare earth minerals. Under a memorandum of understanding signed in September, USSM will invest in developing local mineral processing facilities, with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) assisting in initial sample preparation and export. The first shipment — containing antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium — has already been dispatched to the United States.
The government has also touted the partnership as part of a broader realignment aimed at strengthening trade ties with Washington, including a reduction in reciprocal tariffs from 29% to 19%, and attracting investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure and energy sectors. The National Logistics Corporation (NLC) recently signed a separate MoU with the Mota-Engil Group to explore long-term collaboration in engineering, construction, and technology transfer.
However, opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have raised concerns over what they call “secret deals” with Washington. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram demanded that “full details of all such deals be made public,” warning that “reckless, lopsided, and secretive agreements would further inflame the already volatile situation in the country.”
Akram referred to both the USSM mineral deal and the Financial Times report about Pasni Port, insisting that Parliament and the nation must be taken into confidence. “PTI will never accept agreements struck at the expense of the people and the state’s interests,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, military sources have disputed claims made in the Financial Times report, clarifying that the Pasni proposal was merely “a commercial idea” and not “official policy.”
