Pakistan gemstones

Pakistan Gemstone training centre to be set up at Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit : Jadoon

ISLAMABAD, Jan 14 (APP): Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Amanullah Khan Jadoon has announced that three gemstone training centres would be established at Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit for the people involved in mining and gemstone business. He was speaking as chief guest at the certificate awarding ceremony of a two-month course about gemstone cutting and polishing here.

Written by pub   Sunday, 14 January 2007 found at app.com.pk

            This training programme was organized by the Mineral Wing of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources in collaboration with directorate general mines and minerals, government of NWFP.

             As many as 74 participants including 10 women successfully completed the training programme.

             Amanullah Jadoon said that such training centers would also be established in all four provinces of the country so that minerals, precious and semi-precious stones could be discovered, cut, polished and exported.

             This would enable Pakistan to earn billions of dollars in foreign exchange.

             The Minister said it would also help reduce unemployment in these areas.

             He said that Pakistan was blessed with vast deposits of metallic and non-metallic deposits and it would become the third largest copper producing country of the world in near future.

             Amanullah Jadoon announced that government was formulating the new mineral policy to provide more incentives to the local and foreign investors in mineral exploration activities in Pakistan.

             Speaking on the occasion, Director General Mines and Minerals, NWFP, Mian Farooq Iqbal said northern parts of the country have huge mineral deposits and local gemstone market was attracting local and foreign investors.