In [4], Baumslag and Tretkoff proved a residual finiteness criterion for HNN extensions (Theorem 1.2, below). This result has been used extensively in the study of the residual finiteness of HNN extensions. Note that every one-relator group can be embedded in a one-relator group whose relator has zero exponent sum on a generator, and the latter group can be considered as an HNN extension. Hence the properties of an HNN extension play an important role in the study of one-relator groups [3], [2]. In this paper we prove a criterion for HNN extensions to be .pi.$_{c}$(Theorem 2.2). Moreover, we can prove that certain one-relator groups, known to be residually finite, are actually .pi.$_{c}$. It was known by Mostowski [10] that the word problem is solvable for finitely presented, residually finite groups. In the same way, the power problem is solvable for finitely presented .pi.$_{c}$ groups. Another application of subgroup separability with respect to special subgroups was mentioned by Thurston [12, Problem 15].m 15].