Sir: It is ironic that Balochistan, the biggest province, still needs basic facility. Though, according to Geological Survey of Pakistan, Balochistan, has many untapped mineral resources worth US$50 trillion but it is beyond understanding why our government is unable to tap these sources and why Balochistan continues to remain least developed province with a mere Human Development Index(HDI) of 0.421 according to the UNDP, compared to 0.732 HDI of Punjab.
Mineral fuels form 16 percent of Pakistan’s imports. Since Balochistan has a high supply of these fuels, exploration in the province is likely to lead to a reduction in Pakistan’s imports and minimize Pakistan’s foreign debt while improving the balance of payments. With the minerals sector contributing a trifling three percent to the Gross Domestic Product, further mineral exploration, whether it is through assistance of the government or through local NGOs, is essential.
ZAARA SHAFI
Via E-mail
Published in Daily Times, March 20th 2019.
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