Mineral exploration: 7 billion tons of marble present in FATA

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar on Monday directed the Fata Development Authority (FDA) to expedite work on its mineral projects. He said the authority should pay special attention to the projects for tangible results.

He issued these directives while presiding over a presentation on Mineral Development Initiatives in Fata which was given by FDA General Manager Mazhar Ali Shah at Governor House. FDA Chief Executive Attaullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Fazal Karim Khattak, PCSIR Director General Liaquat Ali and others were also present.

Kausar called for close linkages with other organisations, particularly Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) Laboratories to get appropriate technical support for these projects. He appreciated the work done by FDA and stressed that these projects should be publicised in a proper manner to attract potential investors. “Fata is rich in mineral resources and we must exploit them for the economic development of the region,” he added, He emphasised the need for partnerships with multinational firms to explore these resources.

During the presentation, Shah explained that more than 21 different types of minerals are present in Fata in large quantities.

These include 7 billion tons of marble, 537 million tons of chromite, 35 million tons of copper, 20 million tons of gypsum, 11 million tons of dolomite, 3.6 million tons of soapstone, 2 million tons of manganese and a huge quantity of limestone.

The meeting also revealed the presence of gold reserves in South Waziristan and silver in Bajaur Agency. The FDA also said it was constructing a 153 km road to provide easy access to mineral reserves.

The highest mineral production in FATA so far has been 2.85 million tons in 2008-09, which generated Rs58.87 million in revenue.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2011.