Reko Diq case: Balochistan govt is wasting our time, says SC

Court rejects interim report into Steel Mills corruption case.

ISLAMABAD: In awarding the contract for Reko Diq, the agreement was signed before the rules were in place, contrary to international practice, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday observed on Tuesday during the hearing of the Reko Diq case.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry reprimanded the Balochistan government for not providing the detailed record and observed it is merely wasting the court’s time. He was presiding over a four-member bench of the apex court hearing the suo motu case.

“How many minerals may be extracted on a single licence? The law permits only one mineral per license,” the chief justice asked Advocate General Balochistan Salahuddin Mengal for clarification. Mengal submitted that the licence was issued for the extraction of associate minerals which are not defined in the law.

Documents show that the mining committee issued licences on the direction of the Governor Balochistan whereas the committee was autonomous and did not require a directive, Justice Ramday observed.

“The central issue in this case pertains to whether the national interest was held supreme in awarding the contract,” Justice Ghulam Rabbani observed.

“We will determine whether constitutional requirements have been complied with in this case. It is mandatory to uphold the Constitution,” the chief justice observed. “We can judge the importance of the Reko Diq project by the fact that 26 senators filed a petition to become a party to this case.”

“We would not like to halt any deal but it is the responsibility of the provincial government to sign the agreement in accordance with the law,” the chief justice said. He directed the advocate general to submit the record in the court and adjourned the hearing till Wednesday (today).

Also on Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected the interim report submitted by the ministry of industries and production in a suo motu case on the Rs22 billion embezzlement in Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

“We appreciate the Supreme Court for taking suo motu notice of the corruption in Pakistan Steel Mills,” said Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, Secretary Ministry for Industries and Production when presenting the report to the four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Ifitikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

“Instead of showing us your appreciation, point out the culprits involved in the corruption and take action against them,” Justice Ramday replied.

The secretary told the court that the losses sustained by the PSM have exceeded Rs26 billion on account of the embezzlements.

“Then what are you doing here, go and take corrective action,” the chief justice remarked.

The chief justice directed the secretary to take up this issue seriously. Officials from the ministry and the FIA should collaborate in pinpointing corruption in the departments of PSM and the reasons for it, he added.

Giving a three-week deadline for the task, he adjourned the case for the time period.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2011.