President Arif Alvi has submitted a reference in Supreme Court of Pakistan for its opinion on the Reko Diq project. President Dr Arif Alvi had accorded his approval to a summary for the filing of reference in the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Article 186 of the Constitution of Pakistan in the Reko Diq Project on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Earlier, the Apex Committee, headed by the minister for finance and Tethyan Copper Company Pakistan (Private) Limited shareholders, had agreed to a framework for settlement and revival of the Reko Diq Project in March 2022.

The federal cabinet, in a meeting held on September 30th, approved the filing of a reference in the Supreme Court under Article 186 of the Constitution with respect to the following questions of law of public importance. Whether the earlier judgement of the Supreme Court reported as Maulvi Abdul Haque Baloch v. Federation of Pakistan PLD 2013 SC 641, the Constitution of Pakistan, laws or public policy prevent the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Balochistan from entering into the Reko Diq Agreements or affect their validity? If enacted, would the proposed Foreign Investment (Protection and Promotion) Bill, 2022 be valid and constitutional? 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP