SC declares Reko Diq agreement as legal and environmentally sound

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The Supreme Court on Friday declared the Reko Diq agreement as legal and environmentally sound.

A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial announced the verdict on a presidential reference that sought the SC’s opinion on whether a 2013 judgement by the apex court prevented the federal and provincial governments from entering into the implementation agreement afresh.

In the 13-page order, the court ruled that there was no illegal clause in the agreement. "Provinces can amend the laws regarding minerals. The constitution does not allow illegal agreements on national resources."

The court observed Barrick Gold Corporation had ensured the implementation of the labour laws and as per the agreement, a majority of the labour will be from Pakistan. It ruled that the Balochistan Assembly was briefed on the matter and elected representatives did not raise any objections.

The verdict concluded that there was nothing illegal in the new Reko Diq agreement and it was also not in violation of the 2013 judgement.