China mining co slaps Rs 1 bn defamation suit on Pak minister

A Chinese mining firm has filed a Rs 1 billion defamation suit against a Pakistani provincial minister for accusing it of illegally exporting 500 tonnes of antimony to China.
Tuny Pak Mineral Private Limited has filed the civil suit in a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa court against provincial mining minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politician Ziaullah Afridi.
According to the suit, 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 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 Express Tribune daily quoted the suit as saying.

The firm contended that 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 said.
The company has asked Rs 1 billion be awarded to it in general damages for loss of fame, reputation, public trust and business credibility, along with the misery and stress caused.
The court has issued a notice to the defendant to appear in court on May 27.
China has been the largest producer of antimony and its compounds, which is used as an alloying material for lead and tin and for lead antimony plates in lead-acid batteries.