SC antedates hearing of Reko Diq case
01 March, 2012
ISLAMABAD: As the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) has given the Balochistan government 15 days to nominate an arbitrator in Reko Diq case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday antedated the hearing for March 3 and directed the provincial minerals secretary to dispose of an appeal about granting a mining licence to the Tethyan Copper Company Pakistan (TCCP).
The court said an early decision on the appeal is important because the deadline set by the international chamber would expire on March 8.
The court also issued a notice to the Tethyan Copper Company Australia (TCCA).
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, made the ruling while hearing a petition by Maulana Abdul Haq Baloch and others about the Reko Diq mining project.
Khalid Anwar, the counsel for TCCP, expressed apprehension over the court's order to issue a notice to TCCA, and said the ruling would be complied with.
Balochistan Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani told the court that an appeal had been filed by the TCCP before the minerals secretary against an order of the Mines DG, dated November 15, 2011. The court observed that prima facie any order passed in the instant petition was likely to cause prejudice in the case of either side.
It, therefore, directed the secretary to dispose of the appeal by March 3. At the last hearing, it was pointed out that TCCA, which is one of the parties of the alliance agreement between the BHP Minerals International Exploration Inc and TCCA, is one of the components of TCCP, as the latter has invoked the jurisdiction of the ICC with a request for its arbitration.
Deputy Attorney General Shafi Muhammad Chandio appeared on behalf of Ministry of Petroleum. The court adjourned the hearing until March 5.
End.
|
