The minerals resources are the precious wealth of a country. These are extracted from the Earth. Some minerals like Coal, Iron and Copper are found in solid forms and some like natural gas, mineral oil are discovered in liquid shape.
A country with large deposits of minerals provides a sound base for
the development of a large number of Industries viz, Iron & Steel,
Petrochemicals, Cement, Pottery etc. The discovery of various mineral deposits
provides employment to a large number of persons living in these areas, and
improves their economic conditions. The availability of mineral resources in
the country reduces the import bill of many items like, oil, chemicals etc. The
mining sector thus makes a significant contribution to GDP.
However mining sector has largely remained under developed due to
financial constraints, poor planning, heavy reliance on advanced countries for
the discovery of mineral wealth and the scarcity of trained persons at home etc.
The structural geology and the stratigraphic history of Pakistan
ensure the presence of significant mineral resources. Until now, six regions
have been Pakistan is quite resources compared developing countries rich in
mineral to many other of the world. Earmarked for minerals. (i) Hazard for
Bauxite (ii) Chiral for Iron (iii) North-east Baluchistan and adjacent parts of
Waziristan for Coal, Chromite, Copper and Marble (iv) The Postwar Plateau for
Oil, Natural Gas, Coal (v) The Salt Range and Malarial region for Rock salt,
Coal and Gypsum (vi) Lower Indus plain for Gas, Oil and Coal.
Pakistan has economically exploitable reserves of barite, dolomite,
gypsum, rock salt, magnetite, soap stone, silica sand, limestone, marble;
granite and precious stones and other minerals like gold, silver, copper, tin,
chromite and platinum.
Presently, the value addition in mineral sector is concentrated in
three principal minerals like coal, natural gas and crude oil. These three
minerals account for four-fifth of the weight in the total value addition in
the mineral sector.
After the Baluchistan, the FATA and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province is richest in mineral resources. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and FATA host many metal genic domains. The Hindu Kush-Karakoram block contains
showing and deposits of antimony, arsenic, polymetallic sulphides, gold,
radioactive minerals, sheelite, dolomite/ limestone/ marble, coal, graphite,
and gemstones (aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, ruby, spinel, pargasite, epidote,
garnet, etc.) The central part of arc is mainly Kohistan batholith which
consists of gabbro, diorite and granodiorite. The southern part now called
northern Indus Suture (Main Mantle Thrust/MMT) which represents abduction of
the lower part of sequence with thick pile of thrust slices of ophiolitic
(mafic and ultramafic) rocks. The northern part of Kohistan terrain show
gossans and alteration zones associated with volcanic rocks all along the
Karakoram Suture. It contains anomalous traces of copper, lead, zinc, antimony
and gold. There are large vein type deposits of pyrite, stock works of quartz
veins containing disseminated grains of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite,
arsenopyrite, azurite, bornite, chrysocolla, malachite, pyrrhotite, etc. There
are several showings of massive magnetite or magnetite disseminated in
amphibolites, deposits of chromite, showing of platinum, small deposits of
fluorite, realgar and orpiment (antimony), showings of graphite, mica and talc.
Northern Indus Suture is characterized by showings and deposits of asbestos,
chromite, serpentine, iron, peridot, emerald, magnetite, talc, soapstone and
platinum group of minerals associated with gold. Western Indus Suture contains
showing and deposits of asbestos, chromite, copper, fluorite, iron, lead-zinc, magnetite,
manganese, soapstone and talc, nickel, platinum and serpentine. The high
metamorphic Khyber-Hazara Zone contains beryl, feldspar, fluorite, galena,
garnet, graphite, magnetite, magnesite, marble, quartz, sheelite, talc and
gemstones. The gemstones include aquamarine, moonstone, pink topaz, peridot,
ruby, spessartine, garnet and tourmaline. The low metamorphic Khyber-Hazara
Zone contains phosphate, soapstone, marble, quartzite, gypsum, iron, manganese,
coal, etc. The southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA includes the
Sulaiman Basin, Kohat Sub-Basin and interfingering of Suleiman Basin with Kohat
Sub-Basin contains bauxite/laterite, bentonite, clays, coal, fuller's earth,
fire clay, glass sand, gypsum and anhydrite, iron ore, ochre, lead-zinc ores,
manganese, limestone/dolomite, shale and sandstone, gravel, oil and gas, oil
shale, potash salts, radioactive minerals, phosphate, rock salt and sulphur.
