Pakistan is the land of gems and jewels due to their vast reserves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, but the precious stones are exported in kilos — unfinished — having worth not more than grits. Ironically, the same gems are imported back to the country from Korea, Thailand and Singapore in the form of finished products at the cost of millions of dollars foreign exchange.
During the tenure of former President Pervez Musharraf, the federal commerce ministry had devised a plan to set up a Gem and Jewellery Park in Karachi to develop gem industry in the country, but the project has finally been shelved after years of procrastination. The project was brainchild of the Trade Development Authority, but it has lost its interest in it.
The project was devised in collaboration with British companies and gem and jewels experts to attract foreign investment as well as acquire new technology. At least $10 billion annual export target was set for the park but the project has been cancelled due to fear of ‘corruption’.
As a matter of fact, it is the dilemma of this nation that every new government tries to obliterate every print of the outgoing government as a national obligation. Various mega projects had been conceived in the past but were chucked out by the incoming governments. One such a project was of the Ravi National Park in Lahore, launched by former Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi. At least 500 acre wide lake was to be built along with an international stadium, but as the new government assumed power, the project was shelved. According to the environment experts, the park would have changed the environment of Lahore which is reeling under intolerable degree of air pollution, affecting health and economy.
The incumbent government must look into the causes which lead to the cancellation of this auspicious project. The stakeholders should also show a degree of responsibility at least for themselves if not for the nation and press the government to go ahead with the plan. If corruption is the only cause, every government department should be shut down.
