Marbel producing areas include Mardan, Swat, Noshehra, Hazara, Chaghi, Gilgit and District Muzaffarabad
PAKISTAN is estimated to have around 297bn tonnes of marble and granite reserves, mainly in the remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Balochistan and rural Sindh.
Onyx, a rare marble, is abundant in the Chagai district of Balochistan; its dark green variety is found in five countries only. Its reserves are estimated at 34m cubic metres.
Over 1,400 quarries and 3,000 processing units are operational in the country, employing about 30,000 workers.
Despite many constraints faced by the industry, the sharp increase in its exports during the last decade shows its high potential for earning foreign exchange
Pakistani dimension stones have immense decorative and functional value and exotic appearances.
Pakistan is the 6th largest mineral extractor of marble and granite in the world. In spite of the huge size of the deposits and the long-term export potential, the country’s annual production of such stones has stagnated at around 2.5m tonnes, which contributes merely 2pc to the global market.
The major obstacles in the expansion of the mining industry are the persistent electricity blackouts, outdated quarrying techniques, inconsistent supplies of raw materials, a dearth of value-addition, poor law and order conditions, and a lack of infrastructure in areas where quarries and processing units are located.
The government needs to take steps to promote the stone industry by streamlining and modernising it for processing blocks and slabs by cutting, sizing, polishing and inlay-designing.
Despite the many constraints faced by the industry, the sharp increase in its exports during the last decade shows its high potential for earning foreign exchange.
China accounts for 60pc of Pakistan’s total marble exports. China and Italy purchase raw products like slabs and blocks and re-export value-added items like mosaic work, inlay designs and tiles around the world, including to Pakistan.
Russia and the US, as well as Middle Eastern and European countries demand finished marble products, and thus constitute less than 10pc of our export. Saudi Arabia alone imports marble products worth $1,500m. This indicates the dire need for developing technology to capture value-added export markets.
Some suggestions are given below to help the country realise its potential as a ‘stone exporter’.
• Upgrade operational and abandoned quarries and processing units. Locally manufactured machinery has been employed in hundreds of processing units that need to be upgraded and modernised to meet international quality standards.