REAL THREAT TO MINERAL INDUSTRY IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN

By: Raees Kamil

Gilgit Baltistan is located between the great Himalayan ranges. The Himalayas are formed 200 million years ago by the collision of two continental plates’ Indian plate and Asian plate. There are more than 40 peaks in the area which have more than 14000 feet height. This God gifted area is full of very important minerals like uranium, sulfur, gold and many gemstones as well. Majority people of Gilgit Baltistan do not know about the importance of these minerals and the government is also intentionally neglecting this area for more than 60 years’. As son of soil we have to explore the minerals of Gilgit Baltistan to help the poor people of this area, through Mineral Knowledge, education, prospective investment opportunities for local community in Gilgit-Baltistan.

As per National Mineral Policy 1995 this chapter is purely a provisional one, which is governed by the Mineral and Exploration Committee in said province. In the Famous case of Reko Diq mines “(Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) V/S Baluchistan our Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, leading the bench, pointed out that “MINERAL RIGHTS ARE THE PROVINCIAL SUBJECT”. In this same case TCC counsel Fakhruddin G Ebrahim said that The Tethyan Copper Company is offering the Baluchistan government a 25 per cent equity stake in the company in addition to a royalty fee on its revenues. According to the company’s estimates, the federal and provincial government will put in none of the investment while being entitled to 52 per cent of the project’s cash flows. While regarding award of mining contracts are always awarded either by the president or the governor of the province, not the chief minister (which is contradict against the National Mineral Policy-1995).

POTENTIAL MARKET OF MINERAL/GEM STONE IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN

There were many surveys carried out by different mineral companies in different time frames. Also surveyed by N.A.M.D.C (Northern Areas Mineral Development Corporation) in the past. It is proved that Gilgit Baltistan is rich in minerals and gemstone. Only it needs to be exploring under government supervision.

As per surveys conducted for gold and base metals carried by Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) and on the basis of Geo-chemical and hard rock samples, around 11 prospect areas confirmed gold value ranging from 0.10 to 24 Parts Per Million (PPM) in hard rock while 5 PPM gold is economical in the world. Around Rs. 500 million values of gemstones are extracted annually from Gilgit-Baltistan and efforts are underway to explore other precious minerals. It has been confirmed that nearly all valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan are shedding gold and base metals but the need is investment to explore them in order to change fate of the area.

The official said a total number of 3947 geo-chemical stream sediment samples were collected from less then one sqkm to 250 sqkm, covering 45,500 sqkm gold anomalies alone counted over 100, ranging in content from 5 PPM to 300 PPM. Around 500 samples were collected from hard rock including river floats and out crops. A total of 50 samples pertaining to 10 areas conform gold values ranging from 0.10 ppm to 24.0 ppm according to laboratory reports, the official said and added the gold washers still recover gold from placer deposits of Gilgit-Baltistan.

A total of 50 samples pertaining to 10 areas conform gold values ranging from 0.10 ppm to 24.0 ppm according to laboratory reports, the official said and added the gold washers still recover gold from placer deposits of Gilgit-Baltistan. The area is also rich with white color Marble deposits of Shigar (Skardu), Nasirabad (Hunza) and Gupis (Ghizer) which are considered to be of international standard. The other gemstones which are extracted from the area include Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Aquamarine, Tourmaline, Garnet, Fluorite, Pargasite, Spinal, Zircon, Topaz, Berylspar, Corundum, Marganite, Serpentine, Sulpher, Moonstone, and Amethyst.

URANIUM THE MAIN MINERAL ON SMUGGLERS LIST

Many kinds of precious and Semi precious stones & metal (uranium, plutonium, gold, silver, copper, iron and many more else) mines are found in Gilgit and surrounding areas.. In Musharaf,s Regime about 20 Multinationals Mining companies get mining leases. And some of the companies started there work in Different areas of Gilgit Baltistan

The Gilgit-Baltistan Metals Minerals and Gems Association (GBMMGA) has alleged some foreign companies with the connivance of federal and provincial governments were exploiting natural resources in the region to the detriment of the local economy. As far as worth of Uranium is concern many junior uranium companies would rather you didn’t know this. That’s why they spend most of the time waving their arms about the number of pounds they have, while mumbling under their breath when it comes time to discuss grade. But a quick calculation – using the current uranium spot price of $30.20 a pound, with a comparison to the gold grades that most resource investors are familiar with — shows how grade affects the economics of a deposit:

0.03% U3O8 = $20 a ton/rock (equivalent to 0.045 oz/ton gold)
 

0.3% U3O8 = $200 a ton/rock (0.45 oz/ton gold)
 

3% U3O8 = $2000 a ton rock (4.5 oz/ton gold)
 

30% U3O8 = $20,000 a ton/rock (45 oz/ton gold! ( while in GB mostly we have this type of uranium deposit)

This is the reason that many mining companies are getting involved and interested in getting the Mining Licenses’ in Gilgit-Baltistan. For more information please read all link and get yourself educated about Mineral Deposit and Worth.

POLITICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ISSUES:

At a time when the distance between American and Pakistani priorities in the post-Osama period continues to grow, Pakistan’s entry into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is seen as the upcoming Asian NATO. China and Pakistan have aspired to create a regional alliance comprising the Arab countries, Central Asian Republics, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey, and SCO could most likely help that dream come true. But there is more to it than meets the eye. The lynchpin connecting these countries will be Gilgit Baltistan, Although Administratively Part of Pakistan while constitutionally it moving towards 5th Province road of Pakistan (CURRENTLY GILGIT -BALTISTAN (EMPOWERMENT AND SELF GOVERNANCE) ORDER 2009 IS IMPLEMENTED).

This political uncertainty in the region is especially worrisome for many Nations i.e. Iran, Tajikistan & especially China is , which currently depends on her southern neighbor for two reasons. Firstly, China uses transit routes of Gilgit Baltistan to reach Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and the ports along the coastline of Arabian Sea; and secondly, Chinese mining companies are trying to control the region’s much valued mineral deposits of URANIUM, GOLD, COPPER, MARBLE AND PRECIOUS STONES.

However the locals continue to resist foreign ambitions. In 2008, for instance, a local person was killed when the residents of URANIUM-RICH GINDAI VALLEY (YASIN VALLEY) in Ghizer district clashed with Chinese miners. A Pakistani company called Mohmand Minerals met the same fate in 2010 in Nasirabad valley of Hunza district where the Progressive Youth Front spearheads the resistance against Pakistani and Chinese expansionism. Today, more than a many local right defenders are locked up in Pakistani jails and face sedition charges for denying space to the Chinese and Pakistani mining companies in their valleys.

But the person, making the headlines in local newspapers for criticizing foreign miners, is Advocate Shahbaz Khan, the chairperson of Metals, Minerals and Gems Association of Gilgit Baltistan, who has recently accused some individuals of acquiring 35 tones of certain mineral deposits from uranium-rich KARKALTI VILLAGE OF GHIZER DISTRICT (YASIN VALLEY), and smuggling to China.

Shahbaz is also critical of a uranium exploration company called Mohsin Industries, which has sought partnership with the locals as well as Chinese and Korean miners. Last year, Mohsin Industries was banned for attempting to smuggle uranium outside Pakistan. However, the company has recently been awarded exploration licenses in the uranium-rich areas of Sakwar, Minawar, Pari Bangla and Bonji, as well as parts of Shigar district and Skurdu.

Leaders of the G.B.M.M.G.A association alleged that issuance of mining leases and exploration licenses were controlled by such companies, which they claimed had become an influential mafia, keeping the sector backward for their ulterior motives. The chairman of GB Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Shehbaz advocate, former DIG Hashmatullah, and other businessmen in the field said the mineral mafia was so influential that the provincial government was pursing their cases with the centre.

The businessmen also alleged that the present government in the region was working for the promotion of this mafia. They said applications of more than 200 local companies were not disposed of for past two years whereas decision on such cases was a must in six months under the NA Mining Concession Rules 2003. They added under Constitution of Pakistan and GB Governance Order 2009 the transportation of precious stones outside region was prohibited. They said the association was formed to restrict mineral mafia`s influence and put forward recommendations to promote the sector.

They said the government ought to make sure these foreign companies carried out their operations in the region in partnership with the local companies. The GBMMGA proposed establishment of a full-fledged directorate of minerals under control of a director general. Besides, mineral institutes should be set up and soft term loans be extended to local companies.

While in the recent case of Mohsin Industries Last month, the G-B legislative assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against issuing licenses to foreigners, but days after Shah secretly issued a license to Mohsin Industries, a mining industry run by a Hong Kong (HK) national. The license allowed the organization to resume its activities in G-B where it had been previously banned.

“Nobody in the party was in favour of issuing a permit to the foreigner,” credible sources in the PPP said on Wednesday requesting anonymity, and added that Mehdi had preferred personal gains over national interest.

The lower strata of the PPP leadership in G-B has openly turned against the CM, and said that “issuing permits to foreigners is like allowing them to rob the G-B people.”

“The issue is very sensitive and requires the urgent attention of national security agencies,” said a member of the G-B Metals, Minerals and Gems Association at a press conference at the Gilgit Press Club on Tuesday.

They said Wang Zunyu, a HK national now known as Mohsin (NEWLY TURNED MUSLIM….why….), had already smuggled a huge quantity of ‘Black Metal’ to China, a metal known for its use in uranium enrichment. They added that more than 10,000 families have become jobless due to his mining activities. Mohsin launched his company by the name of Mohsin Industries in G-B, inducting hundreds of locals for various posts. He also owns a mining company known as Bao-Billion Mining Group Limited (HK).

In recent pre plain agenda Mohsin Industries has offered more the 300 job in Gilgit-Baltistan to get influence over the Legislative Assembly Members and Government to let Mohsin Industries work there in GB. Now, through these 300 Family members Mohsin Industry will try to influence whole nation. This lead us to remember the same case of Big-Board Stock Option company scam which looted Rs, 250 Million from Gilgit Baltistan and more than 20 People Attempted to suicide, by such same tactics by offering Jobs.

Now course of Action would be to take This Wang Zunyu, a HK National into the court of Justice locally and nationally to ask how he got the License to work in GB while in Famous case of (Reko Diq mines “(Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) V/S Baluchistan) Government chief Justice has ruled out that Mining is a provincial Chapter. If this is provincial Chapter then Issuance of License from Prime Minister is Illegal, while Chief Minister then remains responsible for this. While publically this Wang Zunyu is claiming of as he has ultimate power.

We must take this chapter to court of Justice to get resolved through Legal Means or we will see that how All Son of Soil and nationalist’s now react on the matter of selling their mother land by Foreign Agents.

Come forward and save you mother land, save your Natural Resources, Build your Future!!!!!

Note: We have full Mineral Policy and Procedure for MINING THROUGH COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL MINING CONFERENCE IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN, A vision of Secure and Prosperous Gilgit-Baltistan. This is not possible in this Regime of C.M (Vision Less CM) so useless to discuss that in this plate form.

Come forward and Say No to MOHISN INDUSTRY and FOREIGN RESOURCE INVADERS & LOCAL TRAITOR favor and support to fight the case of Gilgit-Baltistan In supreme Applets Court in GB and Supreme Court in Islamabad.

 http://gbtimes.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/opinion-real-threat-to-mineral-industry-in-gilgit-baltistan/