Pakistan

Reko Diq mining licence: SC gives stakeholders one day to resolve issue

Court cannot decide; licence renewal Balochistan govt’s prerogative: CJ.

Qaiser Zulfiqar May 25, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday gave one day to stakeholders in the Reko Diq case to resolve the issue around the renewal of a foreign firm’s mining licence and inform the court of the outcome.

Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, presiding over a three-member bench, observed that renewal of Tethyan Copper Company’s (TCC) mining licence is the prerogative of the Balochistan government since it is an administrative issue.

Advocate Tariq Asad contended that the Balochistan cabinet had decided not to renew the company’s licence. The CJ asked the Balochistan government’s counsel Ahmer Bilal Sufi to inform the court about the government’s stance and adjourned hearing till Wednesday.

Sufi argued that he expected a verdict from the bench. Justice Sair Ali remarked that it is the Balochistan government’s prerogative and the court cannot decide.

Asad requested the bench for permission to file another petition to challenge Balochistan’s mining rules. The court referred him to the Balochistan High Court where a similar petition has been filed by Maulvi Abdul Haq.

In a previous hearing, former Balochistan advocate-general Salahuddin Mengal had informed the court that the TCC had not deposited the project fee nor had it submitted a feasibility report while TCC’s counsel Fakhruddin G Ebrahim indicated that his client was ready for an out-of-court settlement.

Twenty-six senators had filed a petition requesting the court to direct the federal and provincial governments not to renew TCC’s agreement.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (12)

L-007 | 13 years ago | Reply @K9: Techology is for sell it can be brought from any part of the world, Pakistan has resouces and these should be utilized, we should not blame senators, MNAs or other leaders only who elects them you or we, so every one should start cleaning himself/herself and country will be clean of thieves. Chinese companies are doing several copper gold projects in the world including Saindak Pakistan and Ainak Afghanistan, there are few refinaries in the world and China has got most of them how do we say China cant do, while china is a good friend of Pakistan, for how long we will depend on other lets start doing things ourself and building a new Pakistan, dont look at other he/she is corrupt. I will say I am dam sure that Pakistani people can do just need confidence and making thing in transparent way, we should appreciate Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani if he saves Reko DIq from the hands of international looters and start a project by themselves.

King | 13 years ago | Reply Make Pakistan Free. TCC is may be earning 10000 but giving Pakistan only 1. Long Live Pakistan

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

K9 | 13 years ago | Reply pakistan doesnt have the technonology.. and this will fall in corruption.. budgets will be set.. but the senators will eat away the big budget and nothing will be done .... pakistan's name is a disgrace in the world.. investments will never return to the country.. renegotiate but by no means do it yourslef as Dr AQ khan confirms...chinese confirm that pakistan and china do not possess the brains or resources to carry out this project.. in addition tcc through its parent company has invested billions of dollars for research and exploration.. no senator was bothered then..its only when they have found something that these looters and plunderers want a share. if this deal gets scraped... pakistan will have to cough it out along with being blacklisted in the international market.. people of pakistan need to stop being emotional.. we have accept that we have corrupt and disgrace people who lead our country (gov who believes a jali degree is the same worth as a real degree..enough said). Renegotiate and let them carry it out otherwise nothing will be done...

Hafeez Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply This is good chance to say bye bye to Tethyan and its corrupt management from Chagai and Balochistan

Hafeez Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply @Arshad Latif: You are right, we should stop depending on the other nations, Chagai is full of resources we should explore all of them, bring in action the Geological Survey Of Pakistan department, and I think we should take over sending project as well. and train the people working already at Saindak and Reko Diq Project

Arshad Latif | 13 years ago | Reply Pakisran must takeover the project and earn 100% instead of 25%

Hafeez Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply @anniedarc: I dont agree with you, what I think Dr. Samar Mubarak is right Pakistan can do the project herself, because we have got trained Huaman Resource from Saindak Project who only need polishing and honest leadership and the project can be operated.

Arshad Latif | 13 years ago | Reply while the pakistan has the capibility to operate the project by local people they should work on warfooting basis and train the youth of baluchistan for immediate results. it will be a CBM for bluchistan people.

bukhari | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan must takeover the project herself

Hafeez Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply Great decision by the SC, Pakistan has capability to run the project, so they should run it by themselve why offer to a company on only 25 %, we have trained HR so I am sure operating the project is not an issue

Noor Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply I think Balochistan Govt is right over her stance, since the record of the main owner of the Tethyan Copper Company Barrick Gold Canada is not satisfactory one, this company Tethyan is Operating on the policies of Barrick Gold and their polies are not all in favor of Chagai, Balochistan and Pakistan favor. Pakistan and Balochistan own only 25 % what the nation feel this ratio at least should be of 50% because saindak project is also on 50 % lease. My humble suggestion, Pakistan has capabilitiy to operate this project by them self and they should do it by them self, they have already trained Human Resource at Saindak, a person like Samar Mubarak can lead the project very well. If we can earn 100% from the project why should we give it on 25 % for the sake of few employement, if we operate it not only 100% share but 100 % employees will be our own

anniedarc | 13 years ago | Reply This case is vital to the future of Baluchistan. Foreign investment has to be honoured not driven away. The world watches as we squibble. Re negotiate the terms if you wish but do not allow vested interests to prevail. With due respects to Dr Samar who boasts he can do the mining with indigenous help, listen to the world and experts who say not in 50yrs! The Chinese themselves acknowledge that their technology is 20 yrs behind. So rhetoric aside, lets get realistic. Pakistanis have a penchant for shooting themselves in the foot. Let the world's largest Gold and Copper companies show us how. We can get them to make us self reliant 15, 20yrs from now. Thats the best that can be done.

Replying to X