The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday named three amicus curiae for hearing a presidential reference seeking validation for the new Reko Diq project deal under Article 186 of the Constitution.
A five-member bench of Supreme Court – headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial – hearing the presidential reference on Reko Diq project.
Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail are other members of the bench. The court nominated Barrister Farogh Naseem, Salman Akram Raja and Zahid Ibrahim Advocate as amicus curiae in the case.
The bench also issued notice to the Balochistan High Court Bar in the reference. Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman said that the court verdict had declared that the rules were softened in violation of the law.
The court had said that the rules could not be eased out for an international firm, AAG said. “Whether the rules are same now or amended,” Chief Justice Bandial questioned. “The law with regard to Reko Diq has been amended,” lawyer replied.—INP
