ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) formed a five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, to take up for hearing a presidential reference seeking validation of new Reko Diq project deal under Article 186 of the Constitution on October 25.
The five-member bench includes Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Hassan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.
It is pertinent to mention here that President Arif Alvi, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, filed a reference in the Supreme Court to get validation for the new Reko Diq project deal under Article 186 of the Constitution.
In the reference submitted to the court, President Dr Arif Alvi asked the Supreme Court whether a new deal on the Reko Diq with Barrick Gold Corporation, a Canada-based mining group, was legally safe under the Constitution of Pakistan and international arbitration.
The president also asked the apex court whether the proposed Foreign Investment (Protection and Promotion) Bill 2022 would be a valid law under the Constitution.
Reko Diq is one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold mines. The project is being restarted after remaining on hold since 2011.
SC hears contempt case against Imran today
A five-member bench of Supreme Court will hear a contempt petition filed against former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan by the Ministry of Interior on Thursday (today).
The larger bench is headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprised of Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
The federal government through the interior ministry had approached the Supreme Court for initiating contempt of court proceedings against former prime minister Imran Khan for violating its May 25 order wherein the PTI was restricted from holding its Azadi March near Peshawar Mor between H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad. However, Imran and his supporters made their way towards D-Chowk.
