Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting on the gems sector in the federal capital. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noted on Monday that Pakistan had been blessed with abundant natural resources, including precious stones, and stressed that the sector offers great potential to increase exports using local resources.
The Prime Minister chaired a high-level review meeting focused on aligning Pakistan’s gem mining and processing sector with international standards and increasing exports, including the establishment of three centers of excellence across the country.
He emphasized that transparency must continue to be a key element in the establishment of centers of expertise.
The Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Planning to formulate a comprehensive strategy to increase the export of processed gemstones. The ministry was expected to present the plan soon, the PM Office Media Wing said in a statement.
He appreciated the efforts of his Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar and his team to promote the development of the sector and termed their initiatives commendable.
The meeting was attended by the ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Dr. Musadik Malik, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Foreign Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmad, Chief Secretaries of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other senior officials.
During the briefing, participants were informed about ongoing efforts to introduce modern mining and gemstone processing techniques.
The meeting was told that three centers of excellence were being established to provide international standard training in cutting, polishing and preparation of gemstones for use in jewellery.
Plots of land had already been identified for setting up such centers in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while work was underway to identify a site in Islamabad.
