SC slaps contempt notice on Tethyan for Reko Diq ad campaign

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Monday slapped a contempt of court notice on the foreign company Tethyan Copper Company (Pvt) Ltd (TCC) for initiating an advertisement campaign for the Reko Diq project, despite that the matter was in court.
A three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was hearing petitions filed against the Pakistani government leasing the Reko Diq gold and copper mines in Balochistan – worth over $260 billion – to foreign exploration companies by violating the law.
Barrister Zafrullah Khan of Wattan Party had filed a contempt petition against TCC, asking the court to issue a contempt of court notice to the company for running an advertisement campaign in newspapers etc despite the fact that the matter was in court. The court directed the company to reply to the contempt of court notice by January 19.
The court took strong exception to both the federal and Balochistan governments not putting in their replies earlier on the main petition challenging the matter. The chief justice observed that both the federal and provincial governments had not replied despite that the case was very important.
Advocate Ahmer Bilal Sufi – assisting noted nuclear scientist and founding Chairman of Pakistan’s National Engineering and Scientific Commission Dr Samar Mubarakmand in the matter – told the court that Dr Samar Mubarakmand was asked to carry out the project as he and his team had the capability to execute all technical aspects of the project such as mining, extraction and purification of the metals etc. The court then adjourned further hearing till January 25.
Earlier, the court had asked Dr Mubarakmand to assist the court in the matter. At the last hearing Dr Samar, who is also Member Planning Commission of Pakistan, had told the court that Pakistan had the capability and expertise to explore, mine and refine the natural reserves of gold and copper at Reko Diq in Balochistan.
Dr Samar however, had told the court that the foreign company TCC wanted to take the raw material abroad, which would cause a great monetary loss to the country. He also told the court that the company would give $160 million to the government annually but if the government would operate the project on its own, it would earn $2 billion annually.
On Nov 3, 2010, some 20 top corporate bosses and lobbyists of two of the world’s largest gold mining groups were reported to have met President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, the State Bank governor and others in Islamabad, pressing them to quickly hand over one of the world’s biggest gold and copper treasures found in Balochistan at Reko Diq, worth over $260 billion, to their companies for exploration and mining.