Pakistan’s Gemstones hidden jewel
Pakistan’s Gemstones hidden jewel known as the land of the three mighty mountain ranges of the Hindukash, Himalaya, and Karakoram, is blessed with a variety of precious gemstone deposits and is ranked fifth between world countries, with its major reservoir in northwest KPK, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and southeast Balochistan. Need government support to proper exports to new heights.
The country is blessed with an abundance of precious and semi-precious gemstones, including the world’s most valuable Rubby, Emerald, Sapphire, Aquamarine, Topaz, Quartz, Zircon, Garnet, Turquoise, Peridot, Spinal, Tourmaline, Feldspar, Agate, Axinite, Goshinite, Hambarguide, triplite , Lapis Lazuli, and Tatanite, which are mostly found in Gilgit Baltistan, KPK and some are Balochistan.
In addition to Mardan, Swat, Hazara, Chitral, Kohistan, tribal districts of Mohmand, Bajaur, Gilgit, Chalas, Skardu, Hunza in Gilgit Baltistan, Chagai, Lasbela and Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir, KPK, including its merged tribal districts, is very rich in having huge deposits of the best, rare, and valuable varieties
Pakistan has an abundance of gemstone reservoirs beyond one’s imagination, and government patronage is needed to fully exploit this secret treasure for the socio-economic well-being of the people.
The border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan have large gemstone deposits with easy access to Peshawar, making it a center for domestic and international traders, jewelers, and mineral specimen collectors.
More addition three to Four million people were directly or indirectly involved in the gemstones’ industry in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwar, Namak Mandi is a big market of gemstone where different type of stone available in Rough, Cut, Polish, Spacemen and beryl form while there is a good market in Skardu were a lot of rough Stone available at a reasonable rate.
Gemstones hidden jewel In Gilgit Baltistan
Emerald of Swat, Topaz of Gilgit Baltistan, Peridot of Kohistan,Aquamarine of Shigar, and Rubby of Azad Kashmir have been recognized as among the best in the world due to their unique color, style, and consistency, and their demand has increased manifold in both domestic and international markets.
These valuable gemstones were often lost during blasting due to a lack of modern equipment, resulting in minor damage, or their designs were distorted due to the use of sharp tools during the search process at airports that had to be avoided.
In Peshawar, the majority of stone cutters and polishers manually facet stones on antiquated machines, and that it takes a long time to achieve the inherent lustre and desired symmetry of stones as demanded by domestic and foreign investors.
Gemstones are exported from Peshawar’s popular Namak Mandi, which is also known as Gemstones Street, to the United States, Hong Kong, Germany, England, France, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Central Asia, and Gulf countries.
Since 1994, APCEA has organised 20 gemstone exhibitions in Pakistan, including 15 in Peshawar, attracting foreign buyers from all over the world to see and purchase Pakistan’s expensive jewels
Despite its abundant reservoirs and raw materials, Pakistan’s hidden wealth has yet to be fully realized due to the use of primitive exploration methods, archaic tools, a lack of modern technology and appropriate labourer expertise, necessitating extensive training for entrepreneurs and minors, as well as the withdrawal of taxes and financial resources.
The Gems and Gemological Institute of Pakistan in Peshawar desire to be strengthened in conditions of the establishment of a modern laboratory, equipment, and the allocation of special funds from the Exports Development Fund (EDF) on the model of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan in order to better train youth and enhance minors’ skills, which is critical to increasing gemstone exports.
Pakistan has the potential to earn an additional 600 million dollars a year by exporting the 800,000 carat Ruby, 87,000 carat Emerald, and five million carat Peridot that are currently available.
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Chief Executive Officer Amir Goraya told APP that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Federal Cabinet had already approved Rs 51 billion for the “Chota Karobar-o-Sanat Imdadi package” jointly prepared by the Ministry of Industries and Production and SMEDA to provide financial support to SMEs through prepaid electricity and other means.
The draft National SME Policy 2020 was presented to the Prime Minister with key recommendations and maximum facilities for SMEs, including the simplification of rules and regulations, provision of credits, tax system facilitation, and increased exports. He said that the new SMEs strategy would include an all-encompassing roadmap focused on timelines for increasing exports of gemstones, marble, granite, and tourism-related industries, as well as promoting other young industries.Pakistan’s Gemstones hidden jewel.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon reveal the National SME Policy 2020, according to SMEDA’s CEO.
According to Rashid Aman, Provincial Chief SMEDA, a Gemstones City will be established in Peshawar, with all modern amenities such as training for gemstone entrepreneurs, certification, polishing and cutting, use of machinery in exploration, marketing, and packing in accordance with international standards.
According to him, the ECDF identified six thematic areas, including regulatory reforms, marketing & communication, entrepreneurship, investment & innovation, banking & finance, skills development and job placement, economic infrastructure, and five main prioritized sectors, including women entrepreneurship, gemstones, mines & minerals, agribusinesses, transportation, trade services, and light engineering.
For SEZ Rashakai, Javed Khattak, CEO KP Economic Zones Development and Management Company, told APP that over 1700 applications and letter of intentions (LOI) were received from various investors, including 700 from outside Pakistan, including gemstone, marble, and mineral. He mentioned that Chinese professionals would be invited to teach our staff, minors, and mining engineers how to cut, manufacture, Polish, and design gemstones and jewelry.
Pakistan’s Gemstones hidden jewel. Abdul Karim Khan, Chief Minister of KP Special Assistance for Industries, said that Pakistan’s gem and jewelry industries were a valuable resource that would see a boost following the establishment of a SEZ in Rashakai, Nowshera district, on 1000 acres of land in three phases as part of the CPEC.
He stated that the SEZ Rashakai is ready for groundbreaking and that efforts will be made to assist SMEs, including mines, minerals, and gemstone entrepreneurs, in the region. He predicted that Pakistan’s gems and jewelry sector would welcome more opportunities for technology transfer and that the country’s exports would reach new heights following the establishment of SEZ Rashakai.
According to a CM aide, Afghanistan has expressed a strong desire to join CPEC, and the inclusion of gemstones and regional trade will greatly benefit both countries.
Pakistan’s Gemstones hidden jewels. The trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was only around two billion dollars, and the trade between Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics (CARs) was only 0.14 billion dollars in 2018, with Pakistan holding a very small share of the Gemstones market, which needed to be increased for the benefit of the people.
Consultants are being hired for the establishment of six new economic zones, including Bajaur, Sariay Norung in Lakki Marwat, and Dara Adamkhel Kohat, where gemstones, mines, marble, and other SMEs will be encouraged, he said. He stated that the use of modern technology for cutting and polishing gemstones would be encouraged, and that the new Mines and Mineral Policy would provide maximum coverage to the gemstone market.
He added that 18 border markets have been created, as well as the opening of four new routes on the Pak-Afghan border, including Torkham in Khyber, Kharlachi in Kurram, Angor Adda in South Waziristan, and Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, for Pak-Afghan Transit Trade, to increase trade flow and gemstone trade volume with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs).