More than one hundred licenses will be issued to national and international firms shortly by allocating of a vast area in different districts of Northern Areas for exploration of multi-billion dollars minerals including gold, copper, lead and coal besides precious stones.
Talking to APP about potential of mineral wealth of Northern Areas, Shahjehan, Deputy Director of Mines and Minerals Department said that Northern Areas are considered richest areas of the world regarding minerals and precious stones. Responding to a question, he said that more than seventy firms including foreign and local had already been issued licenses for the exploration of mines and further would be issued shortly after the finalisation of minor amendments in the existing rules.
To a question about identification of gold mines in Northern Areas, he said that more than 11 sites of gold mines had already been identified in various parts of the Northern Areas. About fifteen firms including local and foreign are already busy in mining gold and copper in various areas which have been allocated to them for this purpose, the Deputy Director told APP.