Disinformation on Thar Coal

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

How many hurdles people belonging to army, judiciary and now Punjab bureaucrats will create to fail this government? Stupid Chief Minister of Punjab trumpeting murli against president and pm to blame inflicting serious damage to Punjab. In fact his officers from Punjab are responsible for major contribution to damage. He is creating a topi drama to justify controversial Kala Bagh Dam. Shame on him.

A number of threads against this government have been opened on energy crisis. Blaming this government for energy crisis and getting votes in future elections on lies will face worst situation than present government for which this government is not totally responsible. Major share of failure to future government will go against these stakeholders I have mentioned in first line. They are not harming PPP government but they are harming their own country and future generations.

Disinformation on Thar Coal
The Pakistan Observer, Saturday, May 26, 2012

Mohammad Khan Sial

**Recently, member of the Planning Commission on Energy Shahid Sattar who originally belongs to Punjab, claimed in an energy conference held at Islamabad that Thar Coal project was complete failure and flame on gasification lasted only 4 hours versus four months as stated by Dr Samar Mubbarak Mand. This attitude resulted in non release of Rs 90 crores from the federal government for Thar Coal project during the current fiscal year whereas federal government did not earmark the amount so far in the next budget for Thar Coal project.
**
**Nonetheless, the high level inquiry committee consisting experts headed by Lt General (r) Shahid Niaz, Incharge investigation and monitoring visited the Gasification Plant at Thar Coal site on May 08 to 11 and found the project viable and termed it an asset for the nation. **

**They found the claim made by Shahid Sattar was completely wrong and based on dishonesty. **

**They also noticed flame continued for four months instead of four hours as claimed by Shahid Sattar. However, they recommend action against him.
**
**Meanwhile, the German Embassy announced on May 14 that Thar Coal project (Gasification)is extremely viable and beneficial and many German companies are ready to make investment under Thar Underground Coal Gasification project.
**
I suggest that Shahid Sattar and Asif Bajwa both bureaucrats from Punjab must be arrested and tried under high treason as they have committed high treason by trying to make Thar Coal Project as failure in order to further complicate the prevailing energy crisis in the country and indirectly supporting controversial Kalabagh dam project in Punjab. Mr Bajwa who is working in federal government did not release Rs 90 crores for Thar Coal on the basis of mala fide claims being made by Shahid Sattar and others.—Karachi

Disinformation on Thar Coal

2

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

What do you want to say? Who is Qamar zaman Qaira, Rahman Malik, and countless others? Who has posted this guy to that post, if he is lying why is he still on that post? Why did he say that? Could it be due to Zardari government's pressure as they have been sold to LNG mafia? The government does not want Thar Coal project to go ahead thats why they are not releasing the amount required to launch the project.

3

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

I think you should read my post again. I have not exonerated PPP government for the energy crisis. Others are more responsible than present government. If situation worsens in future, don't blame to PPP government only. Any project taken in hand by this government on energy has been opposed including Sam's opposition on Iran Gas Pipe line.

4

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

^ for you to read this article the stakes are too high for mafias who drive the policy of the government:

Planning Commission says Thar Coal project unfeasible | Pakistan Today | Latest news | Breaking news | Pakistan News | World news | Business | Sport and Multimedia

**ISLAMABAD - As the government is finding ways to cope with prevailing energy crisis in the country, the Planning Commission has termed the Thar Coal project unfeasible.

It was claimed by Shahid Sattar, Planning Commission (PC) member energy, while speaking to a private TV channel on Saturday.
**
“The commission has concluded audit of the project and stopped release of funds for it on the grounds that we think it unfeasible. It’s not possible to produce electricity from Thar Coal,” Sattar said.

He said the release of more funds of the pilot project would be ‘risky’.

He said leading national nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand had failed to produce gas through Thar coal reserves. “The gas flamed for four hours only and then dropped off,” Sattar said at an international energy summit at Islamabad.

**Dr Samar Mubarakmand, who served as the founding chairman of National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) from 2001 until 2007, ruled out Sattar’s notion, saying “not even a single penny was released for the project in 11 years”.
**
**“Oil and commission mafia is the major hurdle in this project,” he said.
**
He has claimed that three times cheaper gas could be acquired through the project in comparison with Iran and Turkmenistan gas pipeline pacts.

“Iran-Pakistan and TAPI projects would cost $13 billion while 2250 MMCF gas could be obtained from Thar Coal at the cost of only $1.2 billion,” he said.

He further said that the Thar coal project would change the country’s economy and people’s lives.

**Dr Samar said he never went to Thar.
**
“Coal Gas remained flaming for almost four months and if still someone couldn’t see it, then it’s his fault,” he said. Later at night, the Planning Commission member, Shahid Sattar, clarified media reports attributed to him regarding the Thar Coal Underground Gasification Project.

In a statement issued from the CM House on Saturday, he denied saying that the project was not feasible.

**Sattar rejected reports attributed to him regarding the project, saying he had only said that the tests regarding the Thar Coal Underground Gasification Project were being carried out and that its efficacy was yet to be determined.
**
He said the statement attributed to him was wrong and baseless.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Sindh Chief Minister’s House said Thar coal was the most viable option for providing security to the country.

It said Pakistan had huge lignite coal reserves in Thar estimated to be 175 billion tons. The quality of Thar Lignite Coal was at par or even better than the lignite mined in other parts of the world.

The statement pointed out that renowned international companies like RWE Germany, SRK United Kingdom, Sino Coal China, North East Coal Bureau China and China Coal Technology and Engineering Group had undertaken detailed feasibilities in Thar and all of them concluded that Thar Coal Mining was a technically, economically and environmentally viable project and that the coal could be used for power generation and other petro-chemical uses.

Presently three companies, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, Oracle Coalfields UK and Sino-Sindh Resources China have completed their detailed feasibility studies and their projects of open cast mining were expected to start within the year.

5

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

Here’s the profile of Shahid Sattar, if the government appoints these kind of people on important positions who should be blamed for that? This guy should be behind bar instead of this position.

6

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

dont you get it? he was appointed by takht-e-lahore ONLY to defame this government of angels. :-p

7

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

and then... we get haram khor ministers converted to IT Ministers....

8

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

OGDCL 'vying to benefit blue-eyed firm | The Nation

9

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

I agree with you he should be arrested from CM house Punjab. It looks to me it is a conspiracy against PPP government hatched by Shabaz Sharif for pushing controversial Kala Bagh Dam project one hand and defaming federal government blaming it for inflicting damage to Punjab . Who so ever involved in Oil and commission mafia should also be arrested.

10

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

actually none is required, Zardari alone is enough!!!

11

Re: Disinformation on Thar Coal

If you go through the article that you quoted you’ll find this line.

This is how Pakistan Economy Watch is looking at this issue. Why has the government appointed a corrupt person on this position? and why does this government only find corrupt individuals for important posts? Why have they not taken action against him about this statement of his regarding Thar Coal Project? Is he saying what the government and powerful mafias want to hear?

PC member energy criticised for opposing Thar coal gasification project | Business Recorder

**The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday castigated statement of Member Energy, Planning Commission Shahid Sattar regarding the economic non-viability of the Thar Coal gasification project and termed it an unfortunate result of continued campaign of powerful petroleum mafia.
**
"How come a project becomes unfeasible in which Federal and provincial government had invested a lot while dozens of foreign companies and multinationals had been showing interest in it, Dr Murtaza Mughal President PEW said.

**He said earlier the incumbent government had dumped the strategic Kalabagh dam project in the name of provincial harmony and now Thar coal treasures seen as a key to energy self-reliance for decades are being compromised.
**
Dr Mughal apprehended that abandoning the Thar Coal gasification project could be part of an international conspiracy to keep Pakistan dependent on foreign aid and ensure Indian hegemony in the region.

**Some credible experts are of the opinion that energy crisis, tax collections and mismanagement have been engineered to please foreign masters who want to see Pakistan as a consumer market State, he maintained.
**
Fiscal and current account deficit has crossed all limits while tax collections have dropped to 8.6 percent of the GDP.

No steps were undertaken to tax the influential sectors enjoying unjust exemptions, like rich landlords and agriculturists while tax evasion was encouraged systematically, he alleged.
**
Dr Mughal said that the inefficient government has brought the situation to an extent where it will have no option but to carry a begging bowl and knock the door of IMF to arrange external payment for the next fiscal deficit estimated to be around US 10 billion dollars.
**
Other major donors are already fed up of broken promises to introduce reforms and reduce expenditure while IMF will be in no hurry to help Pakistan avoid crisis, he opined.