Voicing grievances: Locals express concern over Reko Diq mining
Representative from Chaghai district submits complaint before apex court.
ISLAMABAD:
Robina Shah, a representative from Chagai district, Balochistan, complained before the Supreme Court on Monday that the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) is poisoning and endangering the environment of the area by mining Reko Diq without adopting any safety measures.
Shah, who claims to represent one of the oldest tribes of the area, appeared before the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by the chief justice to record her grievances.
According to her, TCC is poisoning the grazing area meant for cattle by using cyanide for the smelting process that separates gold from copper.
“People are getting sick and cancer is wide spread,” she said.
During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed repeatedly asked the representative of the TCC, Khalid Anwar, why the company is claiming mining rights over an additional 12 deposits spread over 99 km of area when they have submitted feasibility studies for only two deposits, namely H-14 and H-15. Advocate General of Balochistan Amanullah Kamrani also supported Robina Shah’s view and said that a major reason for not extending the leasing license was the absence of a filed environmental impact assessment study by the TCC under the Environment Protection Act 1997.
“People of [the] tribe would not allow the loot and plunder of the national wealth just like that,” Shah said, adding that locals were being ignored and were deprived of jobs and other basic facilities. According to her, few jobs went to the supporters and workers of the PML-Q and alleged that the agreement was signed during the tenure of former President Pervez Musharraf.
“We are not against foreign investment but the people of the area should also benefit from the exploits of their lands.”
Shah said that the urgency of the matter has forced her to raise her voice in court and, in doing so, disregard tribal tradition which does not allow women to speak up for such issues.
Shah could not provide any solid evidence even though the court asked for substantive proof against the allegations.
Background of the Reko Diq case
The court is currently hearing a petition filed by Dr Abdul Haq Baloch seeking a restraining order against the federal and provincial governments from participating in the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) which are seized with disputes between Pakistan and the TCC for not renewing prospective Reko Diq Minerals License in accordance with Balochistan Mining Rules 2002.
TCC - a Canadian and Chilean consortium of Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals formed to explore gold and copper - had invoked the jurisdiction of the ICC and ICSID for not extending the mining license.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2012.
Robina Shah, a representative from Chagai district, Balochistan, complained before the Supreme Court on Monday that the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) is poisoning and endangering the environment of the area by mining Reko Diq without adopting any safety measures.
Shah, who claims to represent one of the oldest tribes of the area, appeared before the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by the chief justice to record her grievances.
According to her, TCC is poisoning the grazing area meant for cattle by using cyanide for the smelting process that separates gold from copper.
“People are getting sick and cancer is wide spread,” she said.
During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed repeatedly asked the representative of the TCC, Khalid Anwar, why the company is claiming mining rights over an additional 12 deposits spread over 99 km of area when they have submitted feasibility studies for only two deposits, namely H-14 and H-15. Advocate General of Balochistan Amanullah Kamrani also supported Robina Shah’s view and said that a major reason for not extending the leasing license was the absence of a filed environmental impact assessment study by the TCC under the Environment Protection Act 1997.
“People of [the] tribe would not allow the loot and plunder of the national wealth just like that,” Shah said, adding that locals were being ignored and were deprived of jobs and other basic facilities. According to her, few jobs went to the supporters and workers of the PML-Q and alleged that the agreement was signed during the tenure of former President Pervez Musharraf.
“We are not against foreign investment but the people of the area should also benefit from the exploits of their lands.”
Shah said that the urgency of the matter has forced her to raise her voice in court and, in doing so, disregard tribal tradition which does not allow women to speak up for such issues.
Shah could not provide any solid evidence even though the court asked for substantive proof against the allegations.
Background of the Reko Diq case
The court is currently hearing a petition filed by Dr Abdul Haq Baloch seeking a restraining order against the federal and provincial governments from participating in the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) which are seized with disputes between Pakistan and the TCC for not renewing prospective Reko Diq Minerals License in accordance with Balochistan Mining Rules 2002.
TCC - a Canadian and Chilean consortium of Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals formed to explore gold and copper - had invoked the jurisdiction of the ICC and ICSID for not extending the mining license.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2012.