CJP Umar Ata Bandial fixes hearing of presidential reference in Reko Diq case

ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (SABAH): Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday fixed the hearing of a reference filed in the Reko Diq case by President Dr. Arif Alvi.

The president — on the advice of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif — filed the reference on Tuesday to seek the top court’s opinion on the Reko Diq settlement agreement.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial constituted a five-member larger bench — led by himself — for hearing the presidential reference. Other members of the bench include Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Khan Afridi, and Justice Jamaal Khan Mandokhel. Hearing of the Reko Diq reference will take place on October 25.

Earlier, the federal cabinet approved sending a presidential reference related to the Reko Diq case to the country’s top court, after which the president filed the reference on PM Shehbaz’s advice.

In March 2022, the-then finance minister Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin announced that an agreement for the development of the Reko Diq mine had been reached with a foreign company Barrick Gold, according to which Balochistan would have a 25% share.

The agreement, deemed successful by PTI chief and the-then premier Imran Khan, mentioned it will create 8,000 new jobs for the people.