ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial has constituted a five-member bench for hearing of Presidential Reference on Reko Diq project. The bench, headed by Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail will commence hearing of the reference from October 25. In the reference, two questions have been referred to the Supreme Court; Whether the earlier judgment of the Supreme Court reported as Maulvi Abdul Haque Baloch v. Federation of Pakistan PLD 2013 SC 641, the Constitution of Pakistan, laws or public policy prevent the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Balochistan from entering into the Reko Diq Agreements or affect their validity? And if enacted, would the proposed Foreign Investment (Protection and Promotion) Bill, 2022 be valid and constitutional? After reaching an agreement to a framework for settlement and revival of the Reko Diq Project in March 2022, Barrick Gold Corporation, a Canada- based mining company, had asked the government to get the Reko Diq gold and copper deal stamped by the Parliament and the Supreme Court for the long-term sustainability of the company’s investment in the project.