Reko Diq mining lease issue: Balochistan government to file applications in ICC, ICSID: AG

The government of Balochistan will file applications in International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) requesting them not to take any further steps in arbitration proceedings over award of Reko Diq mining lease issue, till the disposal of the matter by the Supreme Court.
The provincial government will file these applications forthwith seeking extension of time for the nomination of arbitrators as per the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Talking to journalists at Supreme Court here on Wednesday Advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kanrani said that the competent authority (Chief Secretary Balochistan) had directed the team of lawyers including Ahmer Bilal Sofi and Cherry Blair of London defending the case of Reko Diq in Supreme Court and other forums to file application in this regard as per direction given by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court had directed the Balochistan Government to send applications/letters to International Chambers of Commerce (ICC), Paris, and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Washington DC, USA, requesting them not to take any further steps in arbitration proceedings over award of Reko Diq mining lease issue, till the disposal of the matter by the Supreme Court.
Amanullah Kanrani said that it was not possible for the provincial government to take up cases at many forums simultaneously as the Tethyan Copper Company Australia (TCCA) had taken the issue to ICC and ICSID under international laws and the TCCP a subsidiary of the TCCA was contesting case in the Supreme Court.
He said under the international laws, when the issue came up at ICC or ICISD level, the judicial foras in disputing states could not intervene into that, he said. During the pendency of the said case in the Supreme Court, the Balochistan government received a letter from ICC to nominate arbitrator which was brought into the knowledge of the apex court, he said. After hearing the point of view of the Balochistan government, the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had issued the directive to file applications to ICC and ICSID for seeking time till the disposal of the case in the Supreme Court.