PAKISTANI N D E P E N D E N C E D A Y

A U G U S T 14, 2017

On the auspicious occasion of the 70th Independence anniversary of Pakistan, I

wish to extend my warm greet-ings and felicitations to our Pakistani brothers and sisters and to other friends of Pakistan.

Seventy years ago on this day, the Muslims of the sub-continent created a separate homeland for themselves, where they could live in accord-ance with their religious beliefs, culture and intellectual inspi-rations. They were able to achieve their goal under the far-sighted and inspiring leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. While celebrating the Independence Day, we should not be forgetful of those who sacrificed their lives in order to preserve our freedom and independence.

Pakistan has come a long way in consolidating democracy and democratic traditions in the coun-try. Today, Pakistan has free media, independent judiciary, strong Parliament and robust civil society. The Government is encouraging the norms of trans-parency, pluralism, tolerance and accommodation and is resolved to continue working towards

further promoting democracy in the country.

Pakistan offers tremendous opportunities for foreign inves-tors amid consistently improving economic outlook and security climate. The present Government is successfully carrying forward the economic agenda. Despite challenges on different fronts, major economic indicators have shown positive signs of sustaina-ble growth.

Pakistan greatly values its relationship with the State of Qatar. It is indeed satisfying that bilateral relations between our two brotherly countries, based on mutual respect and shared desire to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in diverse fields, have all along remained cordial. There is a need for private sectors of the two countries to explore ways and means to further promote trade.

The Government of Pakistan attaches high priority to the progress of overseas Pakistanis. The Pakistani Diaspora has played a very vital role in the growth and development of its country of ori-gin. The overseas Pakistanis in Qatar are not lagging behind. They are playing a meaningful role in their respective fields for the

progress and prosperity of both Pakistan and Qatar.

Finally, I would like to sin-cerely thank His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, the Prime Minister and Minister of the Inte-rior H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Government and people of the State of Qatar for the cooperation and support that my Mission has received from them.

Long live Pakistan-Qatar friendship.

Message from Ambassador of Pakistan

Shahzad AhmadAmbassador of Pakistan to the State of Qatar T

HE impetus in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Qatar was continued in 2016 with the visit of President of Pakistan to Qatar. Rela-tions between Pakistan and Qatar

are rooted in our common faith, heritage and values. The two countries also have cooper-ated with each other in pursuing common goals in international organizations.

During March 2015-March 2017, there has been a surge of high level contacts between the two countries. H H the Emir of Qatar vis-ited Pakistan in March 2015, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan visited Qatar in February 2016 and the President of Pakistan visited Qatar in October 2016. In the aftermath of these high level exchanges there has been a visible forward movement in the bilateral rela-tions especially in the economic field.

President of Pakistan visited Qatar: At the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, President Mamnoon Hussain paid an official visit to the State of Qatar on October 22-24, 2016. The President held meetings with the Emir, the Father Emir, Defence Minister and the Labour Minister of the State of Qatar.

Talks during the meetings dealt with the promotion of investment opportunities and broadening bilateral cooperation in energy,

economy and military fields. In the political sphere, the two sides discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern, particularly the latest developments in the Middle East. The President also attended the funeral prayers of the late H H Sheikh Kha-lifa Al Thani and offered his condolences to H H the Emir and to H H the Father Emir.

Minister of Defence Affairs of Qatar visit to Pakistan: H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Atti-yah, Minister of State for Defence Affairs of Qatar, visited Pakistan from October 27-29, 2016. The Minister held meetings with the PM, Defence Minister, Minister for Defence Production, Chair-man Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Army Staff. He also visited military institu-tions and defense equipment manufacturers.

Visit of Pakistan Naval Chief: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah, visited Qatar from January 9-12, 2017 and held meetings with the Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Chief of Staff Qatar Armed Forces and the Commander of Qatar Emiri Naval Forces. Talks during these meetings focused on bilat-eral relations and ways of developing them.

Visit of Pakistan Army Chief: Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa visited Qatar from March 5-8, 2017 and held separate meet-ings with H H the Emir, the Prime Minister and the Minister of State for Defence Affairs.

Pakistan-Qatar Friendship A milestone in bilateral relations

MONDAY 14 AUGUST 2017 II

PAKISTANI N D E P E N D E N C E D A Y

The academic year 2016-17 has run its half course. During this time, Pakistan International School

has progressed in many dimen-sions. For all the developments and growth of the school, Allah Almighty be praised.

The school has excelled in curricular and co-curricular activities alike. And the extra-curricular activities have also been taken care of well.

Following is a crisp review of the school progress.

• The enrolment in the aca-demic year 2016-17 is 3529; whereas,last year it was 3386.

• In academic session 2016-17, in addition to Pakistani students, there are enrolments of students from 29 different nationalities.

• Enrollment in our evening school has grown to 130.

The academic results in the session 2015-16 from grade K.G-I till grade VIII are as under:

• In SSC Annual Exam 2016, 162 students appeared. School pass percentage remained 95.05%. • HSSC Annual Exam 2016 result was also appreciable where 150 students appeared and 135 passed and the success ratio remained 93.91%.

Co-curricular activities and accomplishments are as under:

• Educational seminars by

Qafco and Qatar University Pro-fessors • Lectures on various academic and social issues by highly qualified professionals from different fields

• Educational field trips to Qatar Stock Exchange, Sheikh Faisal Museum and Mahaseel Festival Qatara, and Dandy Ice Cream Factory

Our students also excelled in inter and intra-school activ-ities and competitions:

• Literary Competition 2016, 1st position in Dramatic Decla-mation and Essay Writing Sr. and 3rd position in Humorous Speech and Essay writing Jr. We com-peted against 18 international schools. • 2nd position out of 12 participant schools in QCA U-16 Cricket Tournament 2016. • 3rd position in Dana Green 2016 • 1st position in Bright Future Science Project competition • 5th trophy for ECO School Program run by Doha Bank • Best Delegate 2nd time in a row at DESMUN

In addition to soaring per-formance in numerous co-curricular activities, the fol-lowing activities have been initiated and successfully main-tained at Pakistan International School.

• Science Exhibition• Science Quiz Competition• Student Parliamentarian Elections• Annual Sports Day• Spelling Bee Competition• Food Festival• Scrabble CompetitionAll these events have been

reported on school’s social media portals and newspapers in the country. The school website has been revamped and is maintained properly.

For further projection of the school, the “Open House” is held every year which provides a decent platform to community members, parents, and teachers to get to know each other in a better way and to unofficially share opinions and counsels to ensure positive school progress on the whole.

Pakistan International School signed the MoU on August 31, 2016 with Jassim& Hamad bin Jassim Charitable Foundation for the construction of International Gen-eral Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Block. This is an important milestone in the suc-cess journey of Pakistan International School.

Initiation of IGCSE classes will benefit the community to get their children international qualifica-tion within the socio-cultural context that is Pakistani. The IGCSE block is expected to be operative by the end of 2017.

We have been tirelessly work-ing on improving our school’s academic system and strategy. A lot of good result surfaced last year and many changes will take place this year.

We, while basking in the glory of our success, do not sit on our achieved laurels but diligently work to improve our performance further in order to have a better tomorrow for our children.

We believe that success, in any matter, is an outcome of small, ceaseless, and aim-bound efforts. And in this regard, we are ready to do what it takes.

Pakistan International School: Progressing in many dimensions

PAC: The aviation city of Pakistan

ResultsGirls Wing 96.62%Boys Wing 84%Junior Wing 95%KG Wing 95%

But I have promises to keepAnd miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep”.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep

Located about 70km east to the capital city of Pakistan, is the Pakistan Aero-nautical Complex, Kamra. Also known as PAC, this complex occupies over ten square kilometres and has a skilled work

force of over 10,000 personnel. In an era punc-tuated by rapid advancements in fields of aviation, PAC maintains its recognized global presence; its core products being the Super Mushshak aircraft, a primary flying trainer, and the JF-17 fighter aircraft. Besides, PAC continues to play its fundamental role in maintaining the operational readiness of the Paki-stan Air Force. PAC was initiated as a single project in 1972 for establishing an indigenous capability to meet the maintenance, rebuild and overhauling needs of the Chinese origin F-6 aircraft. Over the years, it has expanded to a wide complex of four factories.

Aircraft Rebuild Factory, the first of the four, was established in the early 70s in collaboration with China. Initially, the factory started overhaul-ing of F-6 aircraft and with an ever growing sphere of responsibility, the factory role expanded to include the overhauling of A-5, FT-5, FT-6, Y-12, K-8, F-7aircraft variants and the JF-17 Thunder.

Mirage Rebuild Factory, was established in 1974 to support the Mirage fleet of Pakistan Air Force. The Mirage aircraft overhauling facility includes overhauling of Mirage III and Mirage V aircraft, airframe, engine and maintenance of air-craft components. MRF is also a center for overhauling of other jet engines.

Avionics Production Factory was established in 1984 to overhaul and rebuild the ground based radar systems of the Pakistan Air Force. Today, APF can undertake design and development of avionics systems based on user requirements and provide complete solution from initial concept to product life cycle support.

Aircraft Manufacturing Factory was estab-lished in 1975 for manufacturing “Mushshak” aircraft under a License Agreement with Saab Scania, Sweden. This aircraft has undergone a series of indigenous upgrades and its present day variant, the Super Mushshak, is an attractive prod-uct. Based on the legacy of aircraft manufacturing, AMF facilities were enhanced to manufacture, assemble and roll out the JF-17 Thunder aircraft. The factory today has one of the best aerospace man-ufacturing facilities that contemporary aerospace manufacturing industry can offer.

Super Mushshak, the first major product of PAC, is an ideal aircraft for elementary flight

screening and primary flight training which is being manufactured 100% in Pakistan from raw materials. The aircraft is Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority and Federal Aviation Authority Part 23 certified. AMF has manufactured over 300 Super Mushshak aircraft and they have accumulated over a million flying hours worldwide. Super Mushshak won over a number of competing aircraft on merit and was eventually selected by QAF. PAC signed a deal in June, 2016 for the sale of eight Super Mushshak trainer aircraft and provisioning of operational, maintenance, logistics and training services to Qatar Armed Forces. The QAF version comes with a customized Glass Cockpit avionics, improved aircraft trim, enhanced air-condition-ing, and night flying capability.

The second major product of PAC, the JF-17 Thunder is an all-weather lightweight aircraft, hav-ing an advanced airframe design, high aerial manoeuverability, state-of-the-art avionics systems, and a wide array of weapons. The JF-17 has been designed to stand in good stead and it is envisaged to remain the mainstay of PAF for years to come.

PAC today has an advanced technological out-look; its facilities represent the best in modern manufacturing technologies and are comparable to any other aviation industrial set up around the globe. PAC’s processes and facilities are at par with glo-bally recognized Quality Management Systems including ISO and Aerospace 9100 Rev C certifica-tions. Cognizant to needs of nurturing the intended growth PAC Aviation City was inaugurated recently. Aviation City would serve as a source of new prod-uct design, modification, and development. As National Aviation hub, PAC is fully geared up to sup-port Pakistan’s Armed Forces and friendly countries. Recent sales of Super Mushshak & JF-17 Aircraft to friendly countries and keen interest shown by poten-tial customers speaks volumes of PAC capabilities as an Aviation OEM. The establishment of Aviation City will impel PAC towards engineering excellence and will aid in enhancing its capabilities in various shades of Aviation Technology.

MONDAY 14 AUGUST 2017III

PAKISTANI N D E P E N D E N C E D A Y

Pakistan is fortunate to have a shipyard solely due to visionary out-look of our Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-

Azam, who desired to see Pakistan’s future as a maritime nation. Therefore, immediately after creation of Pakistan, steps were taken to organise a ship-ping company and a shipyard. Quaid’s dream in respect of a shipping company came true during his lifetime; whereas, project known as Karachi Ship-yard & Engineering Works Ltd. (KS&EW), was approved in a cab-inet meeting, presided by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan.

The establishment of facility was thought as essential as defence of Pakistan. The govern-ment of Pakistan and Germany provided the financing of the project under a loan agreement in 1952. KS&EW was established in 1957 as a project of Pakistan Industrial Development Corpo-ration. It is a Public (unlisted) Company, with its shares owned by Ministry of Defence Produc-tion and Pakistan Navy. It is an Autonomous Body with a Board of Directors, headed by Chief of the Naval Staff, working under Companies Ordinance, 1984. It is administratively controlled by Ministry of Defence Production, Government of Pakistan. KS&EW is an IMS certified company from M/s Lloyds Register UK.

KS&EW holds a vision to make Pakistan a leading ship-building country of the region, in line with its true potential and ideal location. This will directly contribute towards economic development and poverty alle-viation from the country.

Situated at West Wharf road and spread over an area of 65 acres, KS&EW has a large ship-building hall, 3x shipbuilding berths, 2x graving docks, fabrica-tion shop, equipped machine shop, and other supporting facilities like grit blast/painting, carpentry, pipe fitting and light steel fabrication shop etc. There are three) main areas of business, namely:

i) Shipbuildingii) Ship Repairiii) Heavy General Engineering

SHIPBUILDING:

KS&EW is equipped to build all types of marine crafts, cargo vessels, container ships, oil tank-ers, harbour tugs, pilot boats, hopper barges, dredgers, launches and bulk carriers up to 26,000 TDW. To provide back-up support to defence industry, KS&EW has developed the capa-bility of indigenous construction of Patrol Boats, Gun Boats & Mis-sile Boats size vessels. It has participated in the construction of state of the art Agosta 90B Submarine in collaboration with France. Moreover, it has deliv-ered mega project of F22P Frigate in 2013 in collaboration with s CSTC – China, meeting the contractual timeline whilst maintaining international qual-ity standards.

Till date, KS&EW has built and delivered 445 ships and marine crafts of various sizes to local as well as foreign custom-ers, which include large ocean going cargo ships, ocean going bulk carriers, tugs, tankers, grab/cutter suction dredgers, buoy lift-ing vessels, research fishing vessels, pilot boats, passenger ferries and other boats, launches and barges, etc.

With recently upgraded infrastructure, KS&EW is now a state of the art yard which is able to compete with similar size yards in the international mar-ket. A large number of KS&EW workforce have also undergone training in China and Pakistan in modern and sophisticated shipbuilding techniques.

SHIPBUILDING PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING RECENT YEARS

ONGOING SHIPBUILDING PROJECTS

Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works: A brief overview

SHIP REPAIR:

KS&EW has a comprehen-sive setup to repair naval and commercial vessels. So far, over 5,000 vessels of national and international origin have been repaired. Pakistan Navy, Kara-chi Port Trust, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and Port Qasim Authority are regular customers of KS&EW for repairs of their ships. Modest facilities exist in the KS&EW for undertaking all types of Above Water and Under Water repairs of ships. There are two dry docks available for under water repairs, which have the capacity to dock vessels up to 26,000 DWT. Further 02 quay walls 165 M & 500 M are availa-ble for above water repair work.

GENERAL ENGINEERING:

KS&EW can rightly be called “the first major heavy mechan-ical engineering industry of Pakistan”. Although KS&EW is mainly designed for shipbuild-ing, its role in support of local

industry and developmental engineering in the country is prominent. It has a long record of service to industry. Its engi-neering division undertakes construction of package type fire-tube boilers of up to 600 HP - 250 PSI, water tube boilers of up to 80 tons/ hour, pressure vessels, LPG tanks, heat exchang-ers, storage tanks of all kinds, gates for dams, barrages, conveyors and elevators for chemical, petroleum and cement Industries, complete sugar plants ranging from 4,000–5.000 TCD capacity, sugar mill machinery, all types of cranes, steel structures and towers, car-avans, overhead steel bridges and sewage treatment plants etc. Kara-chi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd has already manufactured more than 180 Cranes of heavy machine & light range.

SHIP LIFT & TRANSFER SYSTEM:

Most prominent upgradation of yard includes the planned installation of state-of-the-art Ship Lift and Transfer System (SL&TS). The project would ena-ble lifting of ships, submarines and commercial vessels from sea and place them on land in a short time to ensure quick repair cycles. This addition will add the follow-ing principal characteristics to the project: Lifting capacity of ships: 7,781 tons; Platforms dimen-sions: 125 x 32 m; and No. of parking stations: 13

This project is being executed on fast track basis, and is expected to be completed by end 2018. Once completed, the project has great potential to attract a vast range of local and international clients for repairs and construction of war-ships, submarines and commercial

vessels. It will also enable KS&EW to construct and repair almost 95% of all types of vessels in Pakistan.

TAKING PART IN DIMDEX

To explore export business, specially from Gulf region, KS&EW is participating Interna-tional Maritime Defence Exhibitions including Doha Inter-national Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX) hosted and organized by Qatar Armed Force. KS&EW is partici-pating this event since 2012. .

CONCLUSION

To conclude, KSEW has played a historical role in trans-ferring of technologies and broadening the industrial base of country. Extensive up gradation and modernization of Karachi Shipyard has converted KS&EW into a state-of-the-art shipyard which is ready to undertake all shipbuilding / ship repair require-ments of maritime sector. Timely deliveries of projects to valued customers during the recent past have increased the credibility of KSEW in the market.

KSEW is one of the few yards in the world which can under-take submarines construction. Its ihighly trained, motivated and eager to undertake more projects with full zeal and energy. While striving to develop maritime and industrial sector of Pakistan, KS&EW hopes to achieve the national goal of self-reliance and indigenization in maritime sector.

State-of-the-art F 22P Frigate – constructed at KS&EW and BELOW: State-of-the-art Agosta 90B Submarine

Fast Attack Craft (Missile) No. 3FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER (FRP) PATROL BOATS FOR KARACHI CUSTOMS

Landing Craft (Mechanized) for PN

12 ton Bollard Pull Pusher Tugs

1500 & 600 Tons MPVs for PMSA

32 Tons Bollard Pull Tug for PN

Fast Attack Craft (Missile) No. 4

17,000 tons Fleet Tanker for PN

Pakistan has deep roots in the rich history and culture of the subcontinent. That is evident in the architecture of the build-ings of that era. One such buildings that showcase the beautiful period of these

structures are the forts. Pakistan has a rich cultural heritage and it is depicted in the form of marve-lous structure built for the defense of a state or a country. These Forts are a symbol of our golorious history, culture and traditions. They speak well about our fathers and forefathers. Today, these massive structures are not only a symbol of our heritage but also a remarkable tourist spot. Spread over a vast era of history each fort tells a tale of its own.

RANIKOT FORT: Located in the province of Sindh is considered to be one of the largest unexplored forts in the world. Whose mystery in unsolved to date.

BALTIT FORT: Situated in Hunza Valley is an ancient fort dated back 800 years. It encom-passes the Buddhist Tibetan influence in the area at that time. This fort was the prime seat of power in the area.

LAHORE FORT: Located in Lahore. As you enter the city via river Ravi you see huge walls of this mighty fort alongside the elegant Badshahi

masjid. The basic structure was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1556-1605. Later on it shifted possession between Sikh and British rulers.

ROHTAS FORT: Was built by King Farid Khan well provoking place in history near the city of Jeh-lum. The architecture of this huge and vast fort shows the rich traditions of the valiant pushtuns that build it back in the day. Multan is known as the “city of saints”. Its History is spread on centuries.

MULTAN FORT: Is situated in the center of city. Multan Fort was built on a mound separating it from the city by the old bed of river Ravi. Most of the fort was destroyed by the British. Its ruins

still stand tall towering the city. RED FORT OF MUZAFFARA-

BAD: In a city of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, is an ancient fort. The Chuk rulers started its construction primarily to save the territory from invaders. The Red Fort was a spec-imen of great architectural

expertise. It was surrounded by Neelum River of three sides and was constructed in such a way that it remained safe even when the river flooded. The picture this fort portrays high in the mountains with a fast flowing river beside it is truly breath-taking. The entire story revolves around the fact that the location of Pakistan is such that we have such immense history and culture in this small piece of land. It not only makes Pakistan an interesting place to travel in.

Forts of Pakistan

MONDAY 14 AUGUST 2017 IV

PAKISTANI N D E P E N D E N C E D A Y

Pakistan has the most beautiful natural scenery in the world, especially at its best in north-ern areas of Pakistan and Kashmir region. This part of

the country is famous all over the world because of sky high mountains, lush green valleys, mighty rivers, beautiful lakes, and amazing wildlife. There are many camping sites in this region where tourist can enjoy hiking and camping.

1. Neelum Valley: Neelum Valley is

a 144km long bow-shaped Valley in Azad Kashmir. Neelum Valley is one of the most attractive tourist places with its excellent scenic beauty, panoramic views, towering hills on both sides of the noisy Neelum river, lush green forests, enchanting streams,springs, lakes and attractive surroundings make the valley a dream come true.

2. Hunza Valley: The Hunza Val-ley is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit–Baltistan region. The Valley has three Regions – Upper Hunza (Gojal); Center Hunza and Lower Hunza. Hunza valley is the most beautiful place to visit and have many places to see.

3. Swat Valley: Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khy-ber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Swat Valley, Mini Switzerland of Paki-stan has many attractions for visiting

such as Mahodand Valley & Lake, Nat-ural Ushu Valley &Ushu Forest, Malam Jabba (Famous ski resort in Swat Val-ley), Madyan, Swat &KalamVallies, Bonir, Der and many other naturaly beautiful sites.

4. Kalash Valley: Kalash Valley is one of the major tourist attractions in Pakistan. This is situated in the Chitral District of Pakistan. This valley has a unique and amazing culture.

5. Kaghan Valley: The Kaghan Val-ley is a beautiful place in the north-east of Mansehra District. TheKaghan val-ley is famous for its bewitching splendor and natural beauty. There are many beautiful and attractive spots like Shogran, Jared, Naran,Lake Saiful-Muluk, Lake DudipatSar, Lake Lulu Sar, Babusar Pass and much more to do.

6. Murree Hills: This is a summer hill station, the subdivision of Rawalpindi District. Bhurban and New Murree (Patriata) are main tourist cent-ers. One of the most favorite tourist points of Murree is Galliat, it has fasci-nating greenery and scenic beauty that attracts tourists.

7. Shandur Pass: Shandur – The Highest Polo Ground on Earth, is about 3,738 metres above sea level and lies midway between Chitral and Gilgit. Each summer a hug event called the

Shandur polo festival is organized here. The pass is generally unpopulated and passing through its snow covered slopes in winters is an exceptionally difficult adventure.

8. Rawalakot: Rawalakot is a town in Azad Kashmir, and is the District Headquarters of Poonch Division. It is in a beautiful valley surrounded by hills, which is located 80 km away from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

9. Ziarat: Ziarat is a hill station in the province of Baluchistan. It is a famous holiday resort and nearly every trip from Karachi to Quetta stops at Ziarat. The hills around are well-wooded and picturesque. A visit to Quetta is incomplete without a trip to Ziarat. It remains quite cool during summer and receives enough snow-fall during the winter.

10. Jehlum Valley: This is an ideal valley of Azad Kashmir region for both the domestic and international tour-ists. This is the most fascinating & loveliest valley in Azad Kashmir.

A paradise for tourists

By Syed Faheem Ud Din

Pakistan is a naturally blessed country having immense reserves of mineral ores and gemstones.Pakistan is having wide range of gems, including

ruby, emerald, tourmaline, all the gar-net varieties, topaz, aquamarine, spinel, diopside, moonstone, serpentine jade, morganite, sphene, zoisite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, kunzite and almost all known varieties of quartz.

The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has three large mountain ranges: Hin-dukush covers the area to north and north-west, Kar-akoram to the north and north-east, and Himalayas to the east. These ranges are home to a large amount of minerals and gem stones. In Swat, pale green-to-green colored emer-alds are found in talc-carbonate mines. In Hunza, pink-to-red crystals of ruby are found. Numerous gas-liquid inclusions are also typical. In the Hunza Valley, specimen and gem-quality crystals of corundum and spinel occur in beds of marble enclosed in gneisses and mica schist.In Neelam Valley rubies of high quality are also found.

According to Bureau of Statistics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swat has reserves of 70 million carats of emerald, Mardan has reserves of 9 million carats of pink topaz and Kohistan has 10 million car-ats worth of reserves of peridot. Balochistan covers 44% of land of Paki-stan and it is the largest province of Pakistan. It is covered by rugged

mountain ranges that include Makran, Sulaiman, Toba Kakar and Kirthar. Gem-stones found in Balochistan include emerald, apatite, sapphire, agate, tour-maline, ruby, topaz, turquoise, lapis lazuli, quartz, garnet, and peridot.

The Significant Pakistani gemstone in international market is Emerald. It’s as green as the colour of Pakistani flag. The Pakistani origin Emerald color & quality is exceptional; on par with the very best Colombian and Zambian emer-alds. What makes the material unusual

is the excellent transpar-ency. Most emeralds, even very good quality stones, are heavily included and have tiny surface-reaching fissures that require frac-ture-filling with oil or resin. However, this region’s emeralds have been certi-fied as untreated and are

exceptionally clean for emeralds. Pakistani people also have exper-

tise in lapidary and jewelry manufacturing in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. They could someday become a major source in the international gem-stone trade. The Government of Pakistan has established gem identification lab-oratories in major cities of Pakistan to promote the gemstone trade in Pakistan. For this purpose, Pakistan Gems &Jew-ellery Development Company is working in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and Gilgit cities where the major share of gemstone trade exists. Since the incep-tion of Pakistan Gems & Jewellery Development Company, the gemstone trade in Pakistan has seen a major uplift.

Beautiful gemstones of Pakistan