Chief Justice of Pakistan IftikharMuhammad Chaudhry on Monday said that rule of law should befollowed in the country and nobody would be allowed to bypassthe laws to get personal benefits.
He made these remarks while heading a three-Judge bench thatresumed hearing of pleas about award of exploration and mininglease in Reko Diq area in Chaghi district of Balochistan.
Reminding Khalid Anwar, counsel for Tethyan Copper Company(TCC), a respondent, he said that it should be kept in mind thatrule of law would be maintained in the country.
The bench also directed Advocate General BalochistanSalahuddin Mengal to submit record of chief minister's approvalin 1994 for relaxing mining rules for BHP, a mining company.
He was told to convey to the Chief Secretary who wasappearing before the same bench on Tuesday in connection withanother case to produce the required documents.
The TCC counsel resumed his arguments over the issue andsaid that there was no relaxation of rules as the provincialgovernment was entitled to take any decision independently.
"The provincial government has the authority and when itdoes so no relaxation is required," he emphasized.
He contended that the provincial government had theauthority to legislate over the issue.
Defending the joint venture agreement, he said the objectiveof the conditional agreement was to conduct exploration and ifwarranted to develop mineral deposits.
He said they took over the project after the BHP, itssuccessor, failed execute the project. He said since the creation of Pakistan, no one had comeforward to make such an offer and it was due to TCC that such aproject became possible.
The Chief Justice questioned the issue of relaxation of mining rules and said that TCC was not in the picture as the BHPhad placed whole responsibility upon the provincial government. Khalid Anwar replied that they had not been asking forrelaxation of rules. Defending the joint venture agreement, he said fromthe documentary record, it appeared that there was application ofmind.
He said the Balochistan as well as the federal governmentswere approached though there was no legal requirements. Further hearing was adjourned till Tuesday.The bench is seized with hearing of a number of identicalpleas filed by Tariq Asad Advocate, Barrister Zafrullah of Pakistan Watan Party and others against award of mining andexploration contract to the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), aCanadian consortium of Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals, for exploring gold and copper in Reko Diq, in Chagai district of Balochistan.
Source: APP
He made these remarks while heading a three-Judge bench thatresumed hearing of pleas about award of exploration and mininglease in Reko Diq area in Chaghi district of Balochistan.
Reminding Khalid Anwar, counsel for Tethyan Copper Company(TCC), a respondent, he said that it should be kept in mind thatrule of law would be maintained in the country.
The bench also directed Advocate General BalochistanSalahuddin Mengal to submit record of chief minister's approvalin 1994 for relaxing mining rules for BHP, a mining company.
He was told to convey to the Chief Secretary who wasappearing before the same bench on Tuesday in connection withanother case to produce the required documents.
The TCC counsel resumed his arguments over the issue andsaid that there was no relaxation of rules as the provincialgovernment was entitled to take any decision independently.
"The provincial government has the authority and when itdoes so no relaxation is required," he emphasized.
He contended that the provincial government had theauthority to legislate over the issue.
Defending the joint venture agreement, he said the objectiveof the conditional agreement was to conduct exploration and ifwarranted to develop mineral deposits.
He said they took over the project after the BHP, itssuccessor, failed execute the project. He said since the creation of Pakistan, no one had comeforward to make such an offer and it was due to TCC that such aproject became possible.
The Chief Justice questioned the issue of relaxation of mining rules and said that TCC was not in the picture as the BHPhad placed whole responsibility upon the provincial government. Khalid Anwar replied that they had not been asking forrelaxation of rules. Defending the joint venture agreement, he said fromthe documentary record, it appeared that there was application ofmind.
He said the Balochistan as well as the federal governmentswere approached though there was no legal requirements. Further hearing was adjourned till Tuesday.The bench is seized with hearing of a number of identicalpleas filed by Tariq Asad Advocate, Barrister Zafrullah of Pakistan Watan Party and others against award of mining andexploration contract to the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC), aCanadian consortium of Barrick Gold and Antofagasta Minerals, for exploring gold and copper in Reko Diq, in Chagai district of Balochistan.
Source: APP
