The Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals, Government of Punjab, M. Sibtain Khan called on the Chairman Pakistan Steel (PS), Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (Retd) recently, at his office at Operations Building of Pakistan Steel and discussed possibilities of using domestic iron ore at Pakistan Steel.
The Chairman urged the minister to undertake extensive exploration of indigenous iron ore, by inviting foreign investors, for utilisation of about 400-500 million tones of the ore deposits reported in Chichali near Mianwali, and Rajoa near Chiniot.
Promising to extend his full co-operation, the minister said that under the direction of Chief Minister Punjab, his ministry was extensively involved in exploring hidden deposits of iron ore in the province.
He also appreciated the efforts and determination of Chairman Pakistan Steel Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (Retd.) for expansion of Pakistan Steel (PS) upto 3.0 million tonnes per year, as early as possible.
The Chairman PS Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (Retd.), is expected to visit the ore-bearing areas of Punjab along with the Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals, M. Sibtain Khan, as well as ore rich Dilband area in Balochistan, in near future.
Earlier, the Consul Generals of the Peoples' Republic of China, Russia, as well as senior representatives of Saudi based Al-Tuwairqi Group of Companies also called upon the Chairman Pakistan Steel Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (Retd.), separately, at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest.
The Chinese Consul General in Karachi Sun Chun Ye held detailed meeting with the Chairman, wherein techno-economic co-operation between China and Pakistan especially the proposed renovation and expansion plan of Pakistan Steel (PS) came under discussion.
During the meeting with the Consul General of Russia, the Chairman lauded the generous contribution of the former Soviet Union towards establishing this mega steel industrial complex in Pakistan, in which Russia played a major role, and hoped that ties between the two countries would be further strengthened by way of mutual industrial co-operation in future.
The expansion plan of Pakistan Steel also came under discussion. In another meeting with the representatives of Al-Tawariqi Group of Companies, the Chairman Pakistan Steel discussed the salient features of the feasibility study proposed by the group for investment in setting-up a steel making plant of 1 million tones per year capacity in the vicinity of Pakistan Steel.
Various co-ordination points were sorted out in the meeting -and hopefully the ground breaking of the project would take place in the month of April.
The group also promised to extend technical consultation for expansion plan of Pakistan Steel.-PR