Placer Gold Found in Punjab Rivers
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday that there was "significant evidence" of "sufficient quantities" of placer gold flowing in the province's five rivers.
Speech at Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum
She was speaking at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad. The forum is an initiative to harness the country's mineral resources and attract domestic and foreign investment in the mining sector.
Other Leaders at the Forum
The chief ministers of Balochistan and Sindh, as well as KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, also attended the forum.
Gold in Mianwali and Attock
Maryam said Punjab was the land of five rivers and that gold was "literally flowing" in all five, particularly in the areas of Mianwali and Attock.
Pakistan's Mineral Wealth
She described Pakistan as a "pot of gold", saying its wealth lay both above and beneath the ground and needed to be explored and turned into tangible wealth.
"The wealth beneath Punjab was never a problem, never a problem, just like the whole of Pakistan, just like all four provinces and the federating units. The chaos above ground was the actual problem," she said.
Increase in Mining Revenue
Maryam said revenue generated by the provincial Mines and Minerals Department had increased from Rs10 billion to Rs40bn in two and a half years.
"And it is just the beginning," she added.
More to follow
