PESHAWAR, May 17: Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Fata are rich in mineral resources, which needed to be tapped to benefit the people.

He maintained that mineral resources ranging from marble and other semi-precious stones to gold and oil and gas reserves were abundant in the province and the Fata.

Addressing as the chief guest a conference on mineral sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, organised by Regional Institute for Mineral Development, an NGO, here on Thursday, the governor said, “Focus on purposeful development of manpower coupled with encouraging potential investors was indeed the need of the hour for efficient exploitation of the abundantly available resources.”

Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals and Industries Nawabzada Mahamood Zeb Khan, MPA Malik Tehmash Khan and a renowned geologist and former vice-chancellor of the University of Peshawar Prof Ghulam Jan Khan Tahir Kheli were also present. Besides researchers, scholars, senior government officials of the mines and mineral departments of the province and Fata attended the conference. Chairman of the institute Ghulam Mustafa Bughio highlighted the working and achievements of the organisation.

Appreciating the holding of the moot, the governor said, “There is also need to promote market oriented education and skill development on scientific lines in this particular field, and forums like this moot are the effective means to discuss and guide the policymakers to make this possible.” Similarly, he said the overseas Pakistanis especially those working in the Middle East could also prove the result-oriented investors.

The governor while referring to his recent visits abroad said, “I myself have contacted many Pakistanis who have the earnest desire to contribute for development of the motherland by investing their earnings in workable fields.”

Mr Kausar maintained: “There is also need to establish mineral trading yards to encourage businessmen from rest of the country and involve them in mineral trade.”

He said work on a couple of marble cities in the province and Fata was also in progress. In Fata, he said, serious efforts are under way to promote private investment and for making this possible certain laws had already been amended.