The Supreme Court on Wednesday withdrew its earlier order in which it had restrained the Balochistan government from issuing or renewing exploration or mining licences for Reko Diq project till the final disposal of the case. The three-member SC bench, headed by the chief justice and also comprising Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, was hearing a case against the lease of Reko Diq gold and copper mines in Balochistan worth over $260 billion to a foreign company, Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), a Canadian and Chilean consortium of Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals, granted by the federal and the provincial governments in violation of the law.
The Balochistan and the federal governments and TCC are respondents in the Reko Diq case.
The court held that first of all the Balochistan government should decide on renewing or issuing the exploration and mining licences after which the apex court would hear the case. All the parties agreed on the court’s suggestion. Balochistan Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani said during this period the government could go. The chief justice said governments come and go. He said the decisions are taken by states. Raza Kazim, counsel for one of the petitioners, Maulvi Abdul Haq, requested the court to keep the case pending till the Balochistan government’s decision about issuance or renewal of exploration and mining licences.
Another petitioner, Tariq Asad advocate, informed the court that he wanted to challenge the mining rules and sought the court’s permission. Justice Muhammad Sair Ali asked Tariq Asad that he might challenge these rules. He said the court had never restrained him from dosing so. Later, the court adjourned further hearing for indefinite period. According to media reports, some 20 top corporate bosses and lobbyists of two of the world’s largest gold mining groups have been meeting President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, the State Bank governor and others in Islamabad a couple of months ago, asking them to quickly hand them over one of the world’s biggest gold and copper treasures in Balochistan at Reko Diq worth over $260 billion.
The petitioner claimed the contracts of gold and copper mines at Reko Diq in Balochistan were awarded to foreign companies at throwaway prices. He requested the court to direct the federation not to sell the mineral deposits of gold and copper. During the hearing of Reko Diq case on Wednesday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry observed that a constitutional petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking probe of the PNS incident even when the debris had not been removed from the cite.
