KARACHI: The new Pakistan Mining Concessions Rules (1949) came into operation on Saturday [Oct 1] with an announcement in the Gazette Extraordinary. Mining leases or prospecting licences, under the “Rules”, will only be granted to companies incorporated in Pakistan. The Rules give comprehensive details of conditions government prospecting leases, prospecting licences, working obligations, royalties and also make provision for arbitration… . … Foreign nationals applying for licences or leases shall give an undertaking that they will abstain from all political activities, [whatsoever], affecting the sovereignty and security of Pakistan or that which may be tantamount to interference in its internal affairs and that specially they will eschew all espionage. … The arbitration clause states that any question of dispute resolution regarding the licence of lease, etc. shall be referred to the Central Government whose decision will be final. However, in certain … cases the dispute will be referred to two arbitrators — one to be nominated by the Government and the other by the licensee or lessee.