Salt production in Pakistan reaches One Mln Tonnes per Year
Pakistan Times Business & Commerce Desk

ISLAMABAD: The salt production has increased from 835,431 tonnes to 993,677 tonnes per annum in the country, Chief Establishment Manager, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), Maqbool Mazari said here Saturday.

Four salt mines - three in Khewra, Warcha and Kalabagh in Punjab and salt quarries at Jatta and Bahadurkhel in NWFP are being operated by the Corporation for salt production, he said in an interview.

The Corporation is also operating four coal mines at Degari, Sor Range and Sharig in Balochistan, Lakhra in Sindh, he said and added, “We produced 479,629 tonnes of coal during the last year.”

Maqbool Mazari informed that PMDC has earned Rs. 236.601 million as pre-tax profit during the last financial year.

He further informed that PMDC along with Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) has undertaken a joint venture with MCC of China to develop Duddar Lead-Zinc deposit in Balochistan.

It has a major share (50%) in the Lakhra Coal Development Company which is supplying coal to WAPDA thermal power plant at Jamshoro, he added.

PMDC is also shareholder (49%) of Sarhad Mineral Limited, a joint venture with Sarhad Development Authority. SML is operating salt quarries at Nari Panoos, Karak.

The Corporation has also signed MOUs with FATA to develop its coal resources in Orakzai Agency and soapstone in Kurram Agency. Another MOU is under process to develop copper resources of Waziristan, he added.●