Balochistan share in Reko Diq increased to 35 per cent

Govt to introduce amendment bill in joint session of parliament

ISLAMABAD:

In a bid to shore up its coalition days after rifts emerged in it, the ruling PML-N reached out to its 'unhappy allies' and successfully reached an agreement with them over the issue of the Reko Diq copper-gold project in the Chagai district of Balochistan, sources said on Wednesday.

According to sources, the government will increase the share of Balochistan from 25 per cent to 35 per cent in the Reko Diq project. An amendment bill will be brought for this purpose. The bill will be brought in the joint session of the parliament.

Federal Ministers Ayaz Sadiq and Azam Nazeer Tarar held negotiations with the coalition partners who have expressed concerns over the government’s move to “steamroller” the law through without taking them into confidence.

The federal ministers met leaders of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to allay their grievances. JUI-F's Maulana Asadur Rehman was also present at the meeting.

In the meeting, the concerns of the coalition parties regarding the Reko Diq bill were discussed as the allies complained that foreign investment was not taken into account in the bill.

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The federal ministers assured that they are ready for the promised amendments in the bill. Tarar said that he was sticking to his assurance given on the floor of the National Assembly.

It is worth mentioning here that differences among the ruling coalition parties regarding the restructuring of the Reko Diq project surfaced on Tuesday, as the federal cabinet gave the final go-ahead for the signing of the deal before the December 15 deadline.

The two main coalition parties of the government, the JUI-F and the BNP-M, boycotted the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The cabinet held a detailed discussion on the Reko Diq project.

A similar situation was seen in the Balochistan Assembly, where lawmakers lashed out at the government over the passage of a resolution in favour of the deal. A BNP-M member of the provincial assembly termed the resolution an attempt to usurp the rights of the people of Balochistan.

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The JUI-F and the BNP-M protested in the federal cabinet meeting, saying that they were against the bill on the project because they were not taken into confidence regarding the matter. However, the government assured the coalition partners that their reservations were valid and that necessary amendments would be made soon.