THE mineral sector currently contributes only 2.8 per cent to Pakistan’s gross domestic product while the country ranks 106th in the mining contribution index. The minerals sector has the potential to increase the country’s revenue stream manifold and contribute Pakistan’s overall GDP growth.

Balochistan has more than half of the national prospective geology for minerals. The minerals present in Balochistan are copper, gold, gypsum, barite, marble, coal etc. The geographical location of Balochistan offers great advantage from a logistics and cost perspectives point of view because of Gwadar port.

Although a few local companies are working in extracting minerals, there is a lot more that can be done to develop this sector, which has the potential to provide employment opportunities to thousands of people and enhance development because of the downstream industries that will spring up.

The government should constitute a task force to quantify Pakistan’s existing mineral resources and then steer the process of mineral sector development in phases.

Muhammad Nadeem

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019