The Supreme Court has issued notices to Barrick Gold Corporation, Balochistan government, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan Petroleum Company and others on the presidential reference regarding Reko Diq.

A five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi heard the presidential reference.

President Arif Alvi, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had filed a reference in the Supreme Court to get validation for the new Reko Diq project deal under Article 186 of the Constitution.