The law ministry has pointed out that some sections of the draft coal policy would contradict the existing Mines and Mineral Rules 1968 and suggested amendment of the rules before approving the policy. A representative of the law ministry made the observation at an inter-ministry meeting on the draft coal policy, chaired by energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin at the Energy Division on Thursday, said sources present at the meeting.

The Director General (DG), Wapda, Tahir Basharat Cheema has said that government, using coal as fuel, is planning to set up 5000 MW power generation plant within the next few years. He said this while speaking at a ceremony arranged by Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said that the country's survival largely depends on proper use of its coal reserves. '184 billion tonnes of coal reserves were available in Thar area alone', Cheema said. He expressed concern over the fact that Pakistan was generating only 0.1 percent electricity from coal.

Special assistant to the chief adviser, M Tamim, on Thursday said that the government would take

US regulators are proposing to weaken air quality laws, which would allow new coal-fired power plants to pollute US parks from Shenandoah in Virginia to the Great Basin in Nevada, a new report said on Thursday. Amid rising power demand and flat US natural gas output, electricity generators are seeking to build power plants fired by abundant coal. The fuel is cheap compared with other fossil fuels, but emits more pollutants, such as mercury and smog components sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as well as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

The Sindh cabinet has decided to investigate alleged wrongdoings in the signing of memorandums of understanding for the Thar coal power project and take action against those responsible. The cabinet decided in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah here on Tuesday to expedite implementation of the project with the help of the federal government to overcome the energy shortage.

Petrobangla and the Energy Division will jointly organise a symposium on

Negotiations between Nippon Steel Corp. and Australian and British mining giant BHP Billiton are likely to result in a 200 percent spike in the price of coking coal in the next business year, sources said Saturday. JFE Steel Corp. and other major Japanese steelmakers are likely to accept price rises of similar magnitude, the sources said. Overall costs for the Japanese steel industry are likely to be pushed up by