SC accepts 26 MPs as parties to Reko Diq case

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a miscellaneous application by 26 senators seeking to become party to the pending petitions against leasing of Reko Diq gold and copper reserves in Balochistan.
Senators Dr Ismail Buledi, Azam Khan Swati, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Hafiz Abdur Rasheed and others filed the miscellaneous petition for becoming party to the case on Monday. The senators said in their application that since the Reko Diq project involved national interest, they being citizens of Pakistan should be made party to the case, so that they may be able to inform the court about their reservations on the project.
The court also sought the list of 15 geologists, who were working on Reko Diq projects and directed the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) to submit details of the Reko Diq gold and copper mines project by today (Wednesday). A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing petitions against leasing of Reko Diq gold and copper mines in Balochistan worth over $260 billion to foreign exploration companies in violation of law by the federal government.
During the hearing, TCC chief executive told the court that TCC intended to use modern technology for the project, saying the people of Balochistan would be the major beneficiaries of the project. He said they would not only get employment, but also take technical training during the course of the project. He said TCC would hire 98 percent of the required manpower from Balochistan.