Peshawar: Ehtisham Khan, a 30-year-old progressive marble miner on Warsak Road, Peshawar is seen working against the clock in cutting big raw marble slabs of different varieties to fulfill the pressing demands of construction industry.
Assisted by two laborers in cutting of Ziarat marble slabs transported from Mohmand tribal district in his three-room marble factory, Ehtisham arrives early in the morning to his factory to load finished slabs in trucks and pickups after completion of its polishing.
'I entered in the pain sticking business in 2018 to return the amount borrowed by me for treatment of my mother before my fortune turned around last year after establishing own marble unit here,' said Ehtisam.
Terming the marble and granite business highly profitable, he said that any person having basic know-how and Rs 5 million could earn from Rs 20 million a year. He said that most people demand Ziarat super white marble wing to its better shine, durability, and coldness, adding the exports of white, grey and red-white marble of Mohmand, Swat and Buner districts have increased to Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Fayaz Khan, a marble buyer of Wapda Town Peshawar told reporter at Warsak Road's factory that prices of one or two feet white marble were sky-high and beyond the purchasing power of the poor and lower middle class.
'It is a worldwide phenomenon that when there is a bulk sale, the price descends. But, we do otherwise and increase prices when there is bulk demand. So, we direly need a pricing mechanism,' he added.
Sher Bandi Marwat, President, Frontier Mine Owners Association said Pakistan especially its KP province carried huge mineral reserves covering an area of 600,000 square kilometers wherein 92 known minerals of which 52 are commercially exported with a total of production of 68.52 million metric tons per year.
A total of 27 minerals types including emerald, feldspar, granite, limestone, quartizite, quartz, slica sand and soap stones with 289,968 tons production during 202-21 were found in KP, adding the province carried about 2900 million tons marble reserves which is about 95 percent of total reserves of Pakistan.
He said that over 5000 operational mines existed in Pakistan including the world largest salt mines of Kewra, fifth bigger copper and gold reserves and second most coal deposit besides billions of barrels of crude oil if properly explored can turned the country's economy.
'Six out of 15 slabs marbles are being wasted due to blasting at the sites besides gemstones especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to lack of patronage,' he said. The lack of technology and professional training besides heavy taxes were making negative effects on mines, minerals and gemstones mining in KP.
Mamoor Khan, pattern-in-chief, All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) said, 'Pakistan is a home to diverse and rare varieties of gemstones deposits with a potential to export 800,000 carats of Rubby, 87,000 carats of Emerald and 5 million carats peridot per year.'
During July 2021 to June 30, 2022, he said that 6.77 million experts made from gemstones while 193,132.85 USD exports were achieved in August and 422,004.6 USD in 2023 by APCEA. He claimed that USD 4 million gemstones exports were achieved by APECA in 2021-22.
'Pakistan's exports potential to latent gemstone industry is estimated to be around USD 32 billion and I urge the government to give Namak Mandi the hub status of gemstone industry in Peshawar from where raw gemstones were being exported to China, Afghanitan, USA, Belgium and UK.
He said stoppage of smuggling of raw gemstones from KP to the foreign countries was a big challenge as it started adversely impacted the gemstone exports of the country.
The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2023 report revealed that approximately 8,813,025 metric tons (MT) of marble were produced in 2017-18, 7,990,473MT in 2018-19, 7,700,855MT 2019-20 and 478,100 MT in 2021-22 (March-July) while the country marble exports stood as $31,030 in 2016, $28,166 in 2017, $26,403 in 2018, $25,377 in 2019, $17,204 in 2020 and $24,679 in 2021.
Similarly, according to KP Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BIT), KP has estimated 14 trillion tons a year of marble, limestone, dolomite, soapstone, silica and other mineral resources, 70 million carats of gemstones and 1.10 billion bbls of oil reserves potential.
'Despite such a huge mines and minerals potential in KP, its contribution in GDP is only three percent that needed to be enhanced by giving interest free loans to miners and reduce taxes on import of machinery and electricity cost,' said Zahid Shinwari, former President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while talking to reporter.
Similarly, about 82 million tons coal reserved were found only in Hangu and Orkzai including 9 million ton of developed reserves besides huge reservoirs of chromites in Shangla and Mingora Swat, requiring incentives to explorers for financial empowerment of local community.
The exploration of emerald gemstones' lease of Rs510 million for Swat was granted besides another mine lease for Shangla, claiming collection of about Rs 7 billion revenue last year from mineral, mines and gemstones to bolster exports.
Junaid Khan, Director General, Mines and Mineral Department said Mining Cadastre Portal has been introduced to facilitate investors. The mapping of potential minerals, gemstones and mineral sites started with the assistance of the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP),' he said.
The mapping of about 30 percent areas in KP including Chitral, Orakzai and Kurram districts completed while remaining 70% of the province comprises mountain ouster terrains to start soon. On the basis of GSP's survey, he said that the exploration of minerals would be started on scientific lines.
Besides an establishment of a gemstone laboratory and technical training and certification Center in the province, he said KP's mineral testing laboratories are being strengthened in term of equipment and machinery.
A mineral complex would be established at Hayatabad Peshawar for one-window facilities and consultancy services to investors. Offices in Chitral, Dir,l Manshera, DI Khan and Swabi would be established and that about 350 cases were registered against illegal miners.
Junaid Khan said a mineral development and management company would be setup. About future projects, Junaid said that an exploratory study of lithium metal in Chitral besides other metallic minerals planned.
Abdul Karim, CM KP adviser said that 'exploration of decorative stones' in Mohmand, Bajaur and Khyber, exploration of metallic minerals including gold, silver, manganese, iron and chromite, development of rare metallic mines, coal, marbles, platinum, silver and gold reservoirs in Orakzai and strengthening of Project Management Unit (PMU) completed.
Besides infrastructure development of clusters of mining, he said that establishment of mineral check-posts and Mines Safety and Mechanized Mining Centres were in pipeline.
Mohmand Marble City is being constructed on 350 acres of land and that a similar marble city is also being built in Buner. He said over 28 units have already started production in Marble City Risalpur while 20 and 70 percent portions of Rashakai and Nowshera SEZ respectively earmarked for marble and mines industrial units.
