ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a stay order against the transfer of Gwadar Ports immovable property to private firms till further orders and ruled that the order would remain effective till the apex court decided several petitions challenging a contract awarded to Port Singapore Authority (PSA) for operation. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while hearing the case expressed annoyance over the Government for acquiring services of a private lawyer instead of the Attorney General of Pakistan and admitted for hearing a petition filed by the Balochistan Government to become respondent in the case. Salahuddin Mengal, Advocate General Balochistan, pleaded that the Balochistan Government be allowed to become a party as respondent. The Chief Justice inquired from Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for petitioners - Zakir Khan, Yousuf Masti Khan, Naveed Khan and others, if they did not have objection then the Balochistan Government would be allowed to become a party. Pirzada did not object. Mengal said besides the Cabinets approval, which was granted two years ago, the Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) could not be appointed yet. In the contract, neither the Federal Government consider the reservations of Balochistan Government, nor took it into confidence, the Advocate General stated. Expressing concerns over the appointment of Chaudhry Ramazan as the counsel for GPA, the Chief Justice commented that in the presence of Attorney General it was an inappropriate step on part of the Government to engage a private lawyer in this case. The Government has engaged Chaudhry Ramazan in Gwadar Port Authority case. The court observed that the office of Attorney General for Pakistan is a constitutional office. The Chief Justice said Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq is a competent law officer. According to the Rule of Business, in any case if the Attorney General has different opinion then the Ministry of Law and Justice would send the matter to the Prime Minister, who would refer it to the Cabinet for the decision, he said. The Chief Justice said after the Cabinets decision the Government could engage services of a private lawyer. In other scenario, if the Attorney General consents then the Government could hire the service of a private lawyer. Justice Ramday said it was mere wastage of money to engage a private counsel by the Government, adding that in 18th Amendment the Federation engaged the services of 25 lawyers. Barrister Zafarullah said that vast area of 600sq-km coastal land has been awarded to PSA, saying the Government has not implemented the apex courts decision. Ch Ramazan, counsel for the Federation, talking to the reporter outside the courtroom, said neither any land was given nor it would be given to any foreign country in Gwadar, as all the land there is under the use of Gwadar Port Authority. Only three terminals are under the use of the Singapore, he added. The case was adjourned for three weeks. It is worth mentioning here that Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani, has sought the cancellation of the contract with Singapore state-owned Port Singapore Authority (PSA) International Ltd on the grounds that it is a one-sided deal. Raisani has said PSA International Ltd had neither brought in trade nor expanded the port. But there was no plan to hand over the port to China. Under the Gwadar deal, former president Pervez Musharrafs government gave management and operational control of the deep-sea port to PSA, owned by Singapore in February 2007 for 40 years. Under the agreement, the Balochistan Government was to develop a free zone for warehouses and export processing zone and establish road and rail links. Pakistan gets only 9 percent of the ports total revenue. In September, Pakistani Naval Chief asked the Government to review the contract for the same reasons.