Govt explores Balochistan for minerals

ISLAMABAD: The government has launched an ambitious plan for evaluation of metallic mineral deposits in Bela and Uthal areas of Lasbela, Balochistan. “The survey will cost Rs56.7 million, out of which Rs20 million have been released in the current fiscal year while Rs8.9 million will be released in the next,” official sources stated. The provincial government is offering incentives to foreign and domestic investors interested in the mining industry of the province. The officials highlighted scientific mining, cutting and polishing of gemstones as hotspots for investors due to the large reserves of such materials discovered in the province. Gemstones from the northern and northwestern parts of the country are already popular in local and international markets, with larger reserves thought to exist in Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2017.

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