I thought the 186 billion coal reserves found in Thar was substantial for Pakistan's energy needs. The article made a mistake Pakistan doesn't have 186 million coal reserves, Pakistan has 186 billion coal reserves mostly in Thar, Sindh.
Hate to be a spoil sport but to date there has been no concrete evidence that Pakistan has any extra ordinary abundance of mineral resources. I am surprised at some naïve posts where people are quantifying oil and gas in terms of billions of dollars and feeling pleased.
Please understand that the oil import bill of Pakistan during high prices of 2007-2008 touched $14-billion in 12 month period. So what if we have $30-billion worth of oil reserves? On the international scale; Middle East countries have proven reserves of 300-billion barrel? One thousands time more than Pakistan has!
For the nth time; please understand that Thar coal is brown coal or Lignite, lowest grade of coal. If this could solve our energy problems, why do you think we import 2-million tons of coal every year to meet Steel and Cement Industry demand? And why are we wiling to invest in $7-billion IPI gas pipeline?
Thar coal needs huge investment and the result would only be good for use in power generation and not good enough to replace good quality bituminous coal or anthracite for use in cement and steel industries. We have quantity but not quality. Thar coal can help in meeting power shortage but will not solve Pakistan’s energy problem.
Now to Pakistan’s Copper reserves. Comparing it with world major copper producers, we find that Chile produced 5.5-milion tons of Copper each year, more than total Pakistani reserves. USA, Indonesia and Australia each produce one million tons of Copper each year. Understand Pakistan’s annual production is about 20,000 tons.
Not one of the OPEC countries despite their oil wealth matter much in world affairs. Some African countries, such as Zambia ( produces half a million tons of copper each year) or Nigeria ( 2-million barrels per day of oil or equal to twice Pakistan’s reserves in one year) are rich in natural resources but where are these countries in human development?
On the other hand a tiny European country, Austria with a total population of 8-million has GDP of $317-billion, nearly 3 times of Pakistan and almost equal to that of Saudi Arabia which produces 10-miilion barrels per of oil (entire Pakistan reserves in one month!). Austrian nationals enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Thus quality of human resource is what really matters, not what one can get out of the ground.
My dear compatriots, isn’t about time that we grow up and accept the fact that most important resource is the human resource. We have the potential as evidenced by the fine work done by our scientists in the nuclear field.
If we want to matter in the community of nations, we will have to improve the quality of our human resource. This can only be done through mass education and improvement in the quality of education in other words, quantity with quality.
Instead, half the population seems to have been brainwashed by the mullahs into believing that education for women and taking polio drops is un Islamic. Even some members of this forum seem to be unable to find in their hearts to condemn such Dark Age beliefs outright. Maulana Sami ul Haq is justifying attacks of girls schools that these were use as army posts. Fazlullah has condescended to allow girls to be educated up to class 4th at the same time saying that we don’t accept education system of the Lord Macaulay. If this continues, Pakistan is not going anywhere.
