Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday invited domestic and foreign investors to put money into the province's coal and mineral resources, saying the sector could drive economic growth, industrial development and jobs. He chaired a meeting in Karachi to review the potential of Sindh's mineral resources and explore investment opportunities in mining.

The meeting decided to promote mineral exploration, processing and export-oriented industries in the province. The chief minister said the government wanted to attract investment in modern mining techniques, mineral processing and value addition, rather than simply exporting raw material.

Thar coal and the rail link

Murad Ali Shah said the Thar Rail Project would play an important role in carrying coal from mining areas to industries across the country, improving the connection between mines and factories. Thar's coal reserves are already the backbone of power generation in the region, and the provincial government wants to build a wider industrial chain around them.

Sindh Minister for Minerals Syed Sardar Ali Shah briefed the chief minister on the province's mineral potential and investment prospects during the meeting. The briefing covered opportunities for export-oriented industries, including mineral processing and gemstone cutting. The chief minister said the province's mineral resources could play a significant role in economic growth, industrial development and employment generation, and that local communities should benefit from mining activity in their areas.

Transparent rules and incentives

The chief minister said the provincial government would create a transparent regulatory framework and offer competitive incentives to attract both domestic and foreign investors. He said Sindh offered considerable investment opportunities in coal and other mineral resources, and that responsible use of those resources would support sustainable growth.

"The responsible utilization of our mineral resources will pave the way for sustainable growth and a prosperous future for Sindh," Murad Ali Shah said, according to reports of the meeting.

Building on Thar's expansion

The push comes weeks after the phase-III expansion of the Thar Block-II coal mine was inaugurated on 5 October, raising its production capacity from 7.6 million tonnes a year to 11.2 million tonnes a year. Officials said the extra coal would fuel the Lucky Electric Power Company's 660-megawatt power plant and save about Rs15 billion a year in power generation costs.

Sindh has been courting investment in its mineral sector for months, including through an investment conference in Shanghai in October at which 16 memorandums of understanding were signed with Chinese firms. The province is now positioning coal, minerals and the industries built around them as a central part of its economic plans.