Driving away investment: Chinese firm sues minerals minister for Rs1 billion

Claims PTI’s Ziaullah Afridi defamed the company by alleging it exported minerals illegally.

PESHAWAR:

A Chinese company engaged in mines and mineral exploration has filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against the provincial minister for mines and minerals for accusing the company of illegally exporting 500 tonnes of antimony to China.

Tuny Pak Mineral Private Limited has filed the civil suit in the court of District and Sessions Judge Shaiber Khan through its counsels Waqar Ali, Mansoor Tariq and Amir Ali. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA, and minister, Ziaullah Afridi has been made the respondent.

The judge issued a notice to the defendant to appear in court on May 27 in the case filed under Section 13 of the Defamation Ordinance, 2002.

According to the suit, the company is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and was incorporated on January 21, 2010 under the Companies Ordinance, 1984 with paid shares of Rs50,000.

The company obtained a written permission from the mines and minerals department for the transportation of 500 tonnes of the mineral antimony to China for testing and sampling purposes on August 7, 2012, the suit reads. The company thus claims it had the necessary approval to move the minerals and has been accused wrongly.

“On April 17 this year, the defendant arranged a press conference and told the media the company had tried to export 700 tons of antimony and was successful in exporting 500 tons which can be verified from the record of Federal Board of Revenue. The defendant accused the company, its directors and shareholders of stealing the said amount and selling the mineral abroad under the garb of laboratory testing,” the suit further explains.

The company states in the suit, the accusations were made without any proof and the news conference was held at a time when Afridi was the department in charge as a notification making him the minister had not been issued.

“The directors of the company were shocked, distressed and suffered immense loss of reputation due to that news conference. The Chinese partners of the company had to give explanations to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan over their alleged involvement in the ‘illegal transportation’,” it explains.

The company has asked Rs1billion be awarded to it in general damages for loss of fame, reputation, public trust and business credibility, along with the misery and stress caused.

It demanded the minister may be directed to publish an apology in the print and electronic media for his libelous and slanderous statement against the plaintiff.

On April 17, a representative of the company accused the minister during a news conference of creating hurdles in its work by not issuing mining licences, claiming the company would be forced to shift its business to Balochistan if the delay continued.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2014.