Waziristan copper reserves larger than Reko Diq’s

ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Wednesday called for concrete measures to tap the minerals reserves and establish industries in the tribal areas to provide jobs to the local people.
Earlier, the officials of the FATA Development Authority (FDA) told the committee that the copper reserves larger than that of Reko Diq were available in North Waziristan, but exploration was not possible owing to the security reasons.
The committee, which Sajid Hussain Turi in the chair, observed that uranium was available in huge quantity in some parts of FATA, particularly Jamrud, and asked the Ministry of SAFRON to discuss the matter with the departments concerned.
The committee was of the opinion that value addition in local products was badly needed and recommended to impose ban the movement of the raw materials from the areas from where minerals are extracted.
The MNAs suggested that adequate representation of FATA should be ensured in the Board of Directors of the FDA and noted that the FATA’s requirement of funds had increased 10 percent.