A senator from Balochistan has questioned the federal government’s authority to grant extension in a Chinese company’s lease to extract minerals from the Saindak Copper and Gold Project and threatened to challenge the extension in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
“Under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan plan, the Saindak project was supposed to be under the control of the provincial government. Then how come you granted the extension?” Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed said on Monday during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum.
“I am going to challenge it in the Supreme Court,” he added.
Officials of the Petroleum Division said a Chinese company is working on the Saindak Copper and Gold Project and its lease has been extended till 2022.The officials said that the extension was granted with the consent of the Balochistan government. However, Senator Kabeer questioned the move.
Source: Express Tribune
