National

Coal import call by power ministry temporary: Piyush Goyal

Piyush Global

Kolkata | Coal Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the recent decision of the Union Power Ministry to allow states to import coal is temporary in nature.

“We are constantly trying to ramp up production. Allowing states to import coal is temporary in nature,” Goyal told PTI when asked about the Union Power Ministry asking states to import coal in the wake of coal shortage.

Union Power Minister R K Singh has recently red-flagged coal shortage for power plants for the next 2-3 years and allowed states to import the fuel. Goyal said there had been constant growth in coal production and dispatches by the Coal India and explained that at times imports might be needed as a stop-gap arrangement for states to meet sudden rise in demand.

Goyal said coal production had registered a 15.2 percent growth during the first quarter ended June 2018 to 136.87 million tonnes and supply to power plants also jumped by 15.4 percent to 122.84 million tonnes during the quarter. This resulted in lower coal imports by the power industry by nearly 15 percent during April-May this year.

The Coal India is trying to rationalise coal supplies to power companies based on demand and stock lying with them in order to optimise power generation in the country, a company official said. The company is also planning to limit supplies with low PLF and high stock with utilities generating more with low stock, he said.

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International

High treason trial against Pervez Musharraf to resume next week

TestHostEntry

Islamabad | A special court in Pakistan is all set to resume hearing of a high treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, which may also be a big test for Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is likely to form a government, a media report said today.

Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Yawar Ali, who is heading the three-judge special tribunal, will visit Islamabad for three days from July 31 to August 2. The Express Tribune reported that the purpose of his visit is to hear the high treason case lodged against the former president soon after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came to power in 2013 for his role in the promulgation of emergency on November 3, 2007. However, the prosecution team has yet to get any information regarding fixation of the case.

The matter was also fixed at the start of this month but the schedule was canceled because of the LHC top judge’s foreign trip. We are also hearing that the case is fixed next week, a member of Musharraf legal team also informed about the development, said the daily.

Now, it is to be seen whether the upcoming PTI government will pursue the treason case or keep Akram Sheikh, who was appointed as the prosecutor by the PML-N’s government. The daily said Sheikh, who is regarded as being close to the PML-N, may himself withdraw from the case.

The legal experts believe that the treason case is a test for the new government as one of the reasons of civil-military tussle was that the PML-N government had initiated the case against the former army chief. The PTI chief had vowed in November 2007 that his party would initiate proceedings against Musharraf over his unconstitutional acts but it has also been witnessed that the PTI has remained silent over the issue in the recent past.

Most close aides of Musharraf have also joined the PTI. Interestingly, a key member of Musharraf’s party, Amjad also withdrew his nomination papers in favour of Imran Khan in NA-53. It is also being observed as to how much the superior judiciary is interested to conclude the trial.

Experts say the superior judiciary is still unable to end misperception that it leans towards the establishment. Since the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N has been propagating that the judiciary is part of a game plan.

On April 7, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar proposed fresh composition of the special bench, led by Justice Yawar Ali, but the federal government led by the PML-N did not issue a formal notification during its tenure. Later, the caretaker government issued a notification regarding the composition of the special tribunal, which also comprises Sindh High Court judge Nazar Akbar and Balochistan High Court judge Tahira Safdar. Justice Yawar Ali is set to retire on October 22 this year. It will be interesting whether the trial will be concluded before his retirement.

Recently, the apex court summoned Musharraf, who has been living in Dubai since 2016, in a matter regarding his disqualification but he did not show up.

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