PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The Taliban has upset Pakistan's plans to ease its energy crisis by importing cheaper coal from Afghanistan, exposing the neighbors clashing interests.
Facing a severe energy shortage, partly due to a lack of foreign reserves to import coal or gas for its Chinese-built power plants, Islamabad recently announced its intention to import coal from Afghanistan in Pakistani rupees instead of dollars. This way, it hoped to reduce its dependence on more expensive South African coal.
