Pakistan has not competed well in the international gem stone market inspite of its superior gem stone deposits and there is need to change the thinking of the small-scale miners through education and training.
Every naturally occurring gemstone has its own particular feature, which should be known before to explore it in the mountainous areas of the country. There are emerald mines in Mohmand and Bajaur Agencies and Swat, topaz mine of Katlang, tourmaline mine of Stak Nala, Ruby mines of Hunza and AJK and peridot mine of Spat, Naran-Kohistan.
Gemstone deposits of Pakistan are said to be the biggest deposits of the world with the estimated reserves over million of carats for each of the deposit. Previously, these deposits were explored and exploited by the government enterprises, but at present all the gemstone mining in NWFP and northern areas is done by private sector.
Gemstones have captured the imagination and desires of men and especially women for ages. The pursuit of gems has become the subject of legends, fairy tales, epics and major motion pictures. Today, finer gemstone specimens are available to the average person than at any other time in history. Out of more than 3,000 identified minerals, less than 100 are used as gemstones, curator Hamid Dawood of Pakistan History of Natural Museum (PMNH) said. Talking to APP he informed that the northern and northwestern parts of the country are shrouded by the three world-famous ranges called Hindukush, Himalaya and Karakorum.
In these mountains have been found nearly all the minerals Pakistan currently offers to the world market, including aquamarine, topaz, peridot, ruby, emerald, amethyst, morganite, zoisite, spinel, sphene, and tourmaline, he maintained.
He said Pakistan must look into this situation seriously. It can conduct surveys by any reputable/foreign-based institutes to attract foreign investors in this sector. But the locals who have ever ventured into such activity have only stories of failure to tell.
It is important to stress here that the non-professional residents of mining areas are actually the ones who mine these jewels of earth in their hazardous, traditional way of mining. They usually form groups that initiate diggings and blastings, distributing the costs that may incur during the mining period.
This process is something that government has failed to control or investigate. The resulting product is compromised in terms of quality and quantity. Mining ventures in precious and semi-precious stones are uncontrollable in Pakistan because they are undertaken by its people without any permission, support, or guidance from the government. Curator Hamid said Pakistan, based on its potential in mineral wealth, can become a great hub of the gemstone industry, on a scale comparable to that of Brazil, provided it takes a few essential, locally effective steps that can enhance the exploration of resources and growth of business.
Lack of financial support from the government to the private sector, lack of marketing skill and smuggling of gemstone outside Pakistan, is also a reason that Pakistan is not in main stream like Brazil for exporting gemstones. Gemstone sector should be given the status of an industry which will help a lot to revamp the gemstone sector and to bring it in good shape, he concluded.
Pakistan Monument
attractive place for
visitors: Pakistan Monument, a symbol of art and architecture, has become an attractive place for the visitors from all over the country.
A large number of people visit the Monument daily and particularly on Saturday and Sunday. The visitors include people from all age groups and especially students and children as the place provide immense information and knowledge about different cultures of the country.
“The Pakistan Monument is really a tremendous place for enjoyment. After spending a hectic day, I rush towards it and become fresh after spending only a few moments here,” said Saeed Ahmed, a resident of sector I-10.
“Because of the high altitude and situated in the middle of the city, the monument gives a clear view of the capital”, commented Iftikhar who came with his family to enjoy the weakened.
The four main petals of the monument represent the four provinces (Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh), while the three smaller ones demonstrate Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Pakistan Monument Museum, located beside the Pakistan Monument, Islamabad, is a unique `thematic museum’ and also a major source of attraction for visitors.
The Monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country and narrates the story of the Pakistan Movement, dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for future generations. Relics of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the two separate rooms were also displayed in the museum. There is also a library in the museum containing rare manuscripts and few popular books published on the subject.
