The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday recalled the restraining order dated February 3, 2011 in the Reko Diq gold reserves case and directed the competent authority in of Balochistan to proceed to expeditiously decide Tethyan Copper Co’s (TCC) application for the grant of mining lease in a transparent
manner.
“In so doing, the government of Balochistan shall not be influenced in any manner whatsoever by the pendency of these proceedings or by the orders therein passed by this court,” read the detailed judgment issued on Friday by a three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.
The SC directed the advocate general of Balochistan to inform the SC registrar of the decision of the Balochistan government forthwith. The petitions shall remain pending on the file of Supreme Court until a decision on the TCC application by the competent authority.
The subject matter of a number of petitions filed in the Supreme Court was the right to the exploration and lease of the copper and gold mines in the area of Reko Diq, District Chaghai at Dalbandin in Balochistan.
Other constitution petitions and miscellaneous applications were also filed under Article 184(3), seeking transparency and merit in the award of the mining contract.