Mining lease case: SC to announce Reko Diq verdict on Jan 7

Concludes case hearings after hearing arguments from all sides

ISLAMABAD: After hearing all sides in the Reko Diq case, the Supreme Court (SC) reserved its judgment on Friday, saying it will issue a short order on January 7, 2013.

The three-judge apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, after concluding hearings of the case, observed it will announce a verdict ‘in accordance with the law and the Constitution of Pakistan’.

Several identical petitions had been filed in the SC against the lease of gold and copper mines in Reko Diq to the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) – a consortium of Canada-based Barrick Gold and Chile-base Antofagasta Minerals. TCC had invoked the jurisdiction of the International Chambers for Commerce and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputed against the government of Pakistan for not renewing the prospective Reko Diq minerals licence in accordance with Balochistan Mining Rules 2002.

During Friday’s hearing, main petitioner Tariq Asad contended the Reko Diq mining lease was tainted by corruption and urged the bench to direct concerned authorities to take action against TCC.

Meanwhile, amicus curiae (a person who, despite not being a party to a case, offers unsolicited information which has a bearing on that particular case) Raza Kazim suggested that the court form a commission under a retired apex court judge to resolve the matter.

The bench reserved its ruling after Khalid Anwar, TCC’s counsel, concluded his arguments. The counsel for copper mining company BHP, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and the counsel for the Balochistan government, Ahmer Bilal Sufi, had already concluded their arguments earlier.