Maryam says gold, minerals and metals found in Punjab’s rivers
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has revealed that pure gold is flowing in Punjab’s rivers, particularly in areas of Mianwali and Attock, and invited international partners to invest in the province’s mineral resources to bring about an economic revolution.
Addressing participants of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad, she said Punjab was the land of five rivers and that gold flowed through these rivers. She added that the riverine areas of Mianwali and Attock, in particular, held significant potential for gold.
She displayed a gold sample to the participants and said she had a small sample that was completely pure gold. The provincial government is currently conducting a formal survey to accurately assess the quantity of gold present in the rivers.
Highlighting Punjab’s other mineral resources, the chief minister said Chiniot had extensive iron reserves that could be converted into steel using modern technology. She said Punjab’s river sand and gravel contained not only gold but also large quantities of other valuable minerals and rare metals, which could transform the future of the province and the country.
During her address, Maryam Nawaz Sharif also spoke about the government’s initiatives concerning pink salt, or Himalayan pink salt. She said the valuable salt had previously been exported abroad merely in its raw form, as small blocks, but with the current government’s special focus, guidance and limited value addition, standard products were now being prepared from it, significantly increasing the country’s foreign exchange earnings.Maryam Nawaz invited international investors to explore Punjab’s mineral resources, announcing a package of incentives, including interest-free loans, concessional land leases and tax exemptions, to attract investment in the mining and mineral processing sectors.
She said the provincial government wanted to turn Punjab’s mineral wealth into shared prosperity through international partnerships and a business-friendly investment environment.
“Pakistan itself is a treasure trove of gold, with immense wealth both above and beneath the ground,” she said.
She said surveys and studies were under way to assess gold deposits in rivers in Mianwali and Attock. The potential mineral wealth carried by rivers could open up new economic opportunities for the province, she added.
