The Supreme Court on Friday declared the agreement signed with the Canadian company Barrick Gold Corporation for the development of the Reko Diq mine in Balochistan “legal”.
\nThe five-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial rendered its opinion on the Reko Diq agreement.
\nThe top court gave the ruling on a reference sent by President Arif Alvi under Article 186 of the Constitution in the Reko Diq Project on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
\nThe president sought the apex court\u2019s opinion whether a new deal on the Reko Diq project was legally safe under the Constitution of Pakistan and international arbitration.
\nReko Diq is one of the world\u2019s largest undeveloped copper-gold mines. The project is being restarted after remaining on hold since 2011.
\nThe court said that the Constitution ensures disposal of public assets under due process only.
\nAlthough Pakistan has been slapped a whooping fine of $9 billion in the Reko Diq case, the court had observed that the federal government abided by the constitution and the law.
\nTherefore, the federal and provincial governments had signed an agreement after taking the opinion of the legal experts, said the top court.
\nMoreover, the court added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh enacted laws regarding mineral resources.
\nRemarking on the agreement, the court said that it did not violate the top court\u2019s decision of 2013.
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