Pakistan’s Treasure Trove By Shanaz Ramzi

  

Pakistan’s Treasure Trove

By Shanaz Ramzi

 

Did you know the word jewel comes from the Arabic word laal? Rubies are the laals of ancient times, and when they appear in big sizes, are the most expensive jewels in the world. 

   

Pakistan has the fifth largest reservoir of gemstones in the world some of which, including rubies, have brought the country into prominence in the minerals and gems industry. Among the other gems that have been mined in the country are peridot, aquamarine, topaz (various colours: violet and pink, golden and champagne), emerald, sapphire, jade, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, spinel and many varieties and types of quartz including amethyst. Lapis lazuli, and some ornamental stones have also been found. 

 

The most important gems of Pakistan though, are emerald from Swat Valley and ruby from Hunza Valley. Also notable are pink topaz from Katlang near Mardan, a city north of Peshawar, and aquamarine from Dassu near Slzardu, the capital of Baltistan Province. 

Sadly, with so much wealth, the gem industry of Pakistan is still in its infancy and contributes less than one per cent to the national product. Although the country exports gemstones worth at least $3.7 billion annually, the potential of Pakistan’s gemstone industry is huge when it comes to adding to the country’s economy. Pakistan has the potential to export 800,000 carat ruby, 87,000 carat emerald and five million carat peridot annually. Why then, is our gem industry in such a grim position? To discover the truth, one must take a look at Pakistan’s mining history.

 

History of gems mining in Pakistan

 

Although relics of the Gandhara and Indus civilisations excavated in what is now Pakistan bear estimony to the importance that the ancient rulers placed on gem stones, post-Partition not much attention had been given to this sector until the late ’70s.

 

In 1958, goatherds found a few green crystals on the slopes of a hill north of Mingora and brought them to their reigning sovereign, Prince Miamgul Jahanzeb. Not recognizing the stones, the prince showed them to some visitors from Bombay, who promptly identified them as emeralds. At once the prince declared the hill forbidden territory and engaged workmen to search the surface for more crystals. It is unlikely that the prince gained much wealth from these amateurish efforts, which continued until Pakistan abolished its feudal system in 1968. For the next several years, mining was placed under the charge of the Industrial Development Corporation of Pakistan. The latter then relinquished this responsibility to the Mineral Development Corporation of Pakistan, which operated the mines though still small in scope, and with little professional guidance - for two more years. In February 1979 the Gemstone Corporation of Pakistan was formed, and immediately began to reorganize mining according to modern principles, with professional engineers and geologists placed on the permanent staff. Its purpose was to effectively explorePakistan’s wealth in minerals and facilitate gemstone mining and business in Pakistan. It had some valuable influence but ultimately was liquidated in 1997 and subsequently abandoned. 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Scenario

 

There are two bodies now working for the welfare and growth of this industry in Pakistan: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (formerly Export Promotion Bureau) and All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association of Rough & Un-Polished Precious & Semi-precious Stones (APCEA). Most of the emerald, ruby and topaz mines are currently owned by the state. A special permit is required to visit them. However, these mines under government lease, yield hardly anything. It is in fact, the mines operated by non-professional residents in mining areas who mine jewels without any permission, support or guidance from the government, adopting hazardous, traditional methods of mining that actually yield gems, whatever the quality may be. The miners usually form groups and initiate diggings and blastings, dividing any costs that may accrue during the mining period among themselves. Dynamites are still being used for extraction of gemstones in the country owing to which a big percentage of  raw products gets damaged. In fact, so pre-historic are their mining methods that even if the miners are at an altitude of 2,000 metres and have to dig deep down to reach the gemstone reserves, they carry the required heavy machinery themselves, or onmules. The resulting product is therefore often compromised in terms of both quality and quantity. The yield is much less owing to limitations in terms of mining and processing skills and technology. In spite of this sorry state of affairs, some types of gemstones found in the country are regarded as the world’s best owing to their unique features and excellent quality.

 

 

Market for gems

 

Pakistan shares a long and porous border (2430 km) with Afghanistan. This has effectively resulted in a full influx of all types of Afghan minerals into Pakistan, from which they are traded. Aside from Afghanistan, Pakistan is a market for gems from Central Asia as well as from Africa. Many common gems are not found but sold in Pakistan.
   

Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar serves as the first, direct, and only market for all minerals since 1979. Before that, Pakistan’s only port city of Karachi held the market of gem minerals in Pakistan. Following Peshawar’s rise in prominence, Karachi’s significance and role in gem minerals was reduced to that of little significance.

 

Since 1994, the four-day annual Pakistan Gems and Mineral Show has been held in Peshawar with the joint collaboration of TDAP and APCEA, every October. However, the exhibition still has a long way to go before it can attract any potential buyers from abroad. Its few stalls on display do not fulfill any of the requisite needs of experienced buyers from abroad, especially the USA and Europe.

 

Some interesting facts about Pakistani gems 

 

Pakistan's most sought after and expensive gems are emeralds from the Mingora mines where deposits lie in an emerald-bearing belt of rocks bordering the Swat Valley. The small sized gems are the best in colour and lustre in the world and combine best with the larger sizes of gems from the Panjsher Valley in Afghanistan. The best quality gems weighing 10 carats and above could be bought for as much as Rs 10 lacs per carat. Pink topaz from Katlang and aquamarine from Baltistan and Shigar are also in great demand abroad.

Rubies and blue sapphires, the hardest gems after diamonds are even more expensive in large sizes as best quality rubies are rare in big sizes. 

 

Among Pakistan’s expensive semi-precious gems are rubellite (deep pink and red tourmalines), pink topaz and strong blue aquamarine. These can cost up to 5-10 thousand per carat for the best quality gems.

 

Coral is actually a plant that is found in reefs along Pakistan's coastline. It comes in many colours, red being the most expensive, as well as pink, orange, black, and white. It is a soft gem.

Pigeon blood sapphire is found only rarely in Pakistan but are more common from Afghanistan.

 

Good quality quartz varieties of amethyst (purple quartz) and citrine (yellow/orange quartz) are available everywhere in the north and also in Balochistan.

 

Lesser gems are also found in Pakistan like spessartine, a jadeite but not a jade, and fluorite, a soft clear gem that comes in deep and light blue hues, as well as in purple and green sometimes resembling emerald green. These are inexpensive. The cheaper gems are available from Rs100 to Rs 2000 per carat. 

 

Major Gemstone Mining Areas in Pakistan

KP

Swat (Malakand division) – Emerald, various types of quartz, and epidote
Dir (Malakand division) – Corundum and quartz
Mansehra (Hazara division) – Corundum and smoky quartz
Kohistan (Hazara division) – Peridot
Peshawar district (Frontier province) – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fiber inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite

Chilas (Diamer district) – Alluvial diopside, zircon, rutile quartz, aquamarine, and tourmaline
Gilgit, Hunza, Aquamarine, topaz (golden and white), emerald (new find), ruby, pollucite,  peridot, rutile quartz, morganite, apatite, spinel, and pargasite
Baltistan, Skardu, Shigar, Shengus, Stak Nala and Tormiq Nala Aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, apatite, sphene, morganite, and quartz
Shigar Baltistan district – Apatite, zoisite, rutile quartz, epidote, and morganite
Childee, Kashmal, and Yuno (Shigar area, near Skardu, Baltistan district) –Aquamarine, emerald-colour tourmaline, apatite, morganite, topaz, and quartz
Hyderabad, Testun, Dassu, Net Tahirabad, and Goyungo (Shigar area, Baltistan district) – Topaz (best golden colour here), aquamarine, tourmaline, morganite, rare earth minerals, apatite, quartz, and new find emerald
Appu Aligund, Fuljo, Braldu, Bashu, and Karma (Baltistan district) – Tourmaline, aquamarine, garnets, diopside, ruby, pargasite, emerald, topaz, amethyst, scheelite, and quartz
Khaplu, Saltoro near Siachan Glacier area (Ganche area, Baltistan district) – Aquamarine, amethyst, and fine golden rutile quartz


Northern Areas of Pakistan 

Mohmand Agency – Emerald, clinozoisite, sphene, and epidote
Bajaur Agency – Emerald, garnet, and orange-colour scapolite
Khyber Agency – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fibers inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite
North and South Waziristan Agencies – Faden quartz, diamond quartz, phantom quartz, chlorite-included quartz, and window quartz


Balochistan Province

Kharan district – Brookite, anatase, and quartz

Chaman (near Quetta) – Diamond quartz, window quartz, quartz on prehnite-base, and faden quartz included by chlorite

 

Moving Forward

Pakistan has the potential to become a great hub of the gemstone industry, on a scale comparable to that of Brazil, provided it takes a few essential, locally effective steps that could enhance the exploration of resources and growth of business. 

 

The very first step should be government support for its own people as well as foreigners working in this industry. It must also conduct surveys of the quality of gems available in the country by reputable/foreign-based institutes to attract foreign investors in this sector. 

 

The establishment by Pakistan of Gems and Gemmological Institute in Peshawar in 2001, is an investment that will hopefully bear fruit. Already, in recent years some progress has been made, with the geology of the country now known and mapped in great detail. Also, while predominantly, the hardware used for mining consisted of sledge hammers and metal crowbars, pneumatic drills operated via portable air compressors have now replaced them.

 

Gems are the most condensed form of wealth. They never lose their value like gold. Small fluctuations occur but prices always rise and so are a good and safe investment. International banks even accept jewels as collateral for loans extended. So, if both our private and public sector invest into it wisely, this could become a major cash cow and the boost our country needs, as well as great investment for us as individuals!

 

 

 

A reunion made in heaven

 A reunion made in heaven

 

 

One often reads articles about reunions that go sour, with the writers meeting up with old colleagues, some of who ranked among best friends in the days of yore, after donkeys years to find that everyone had changed for the worse.

 

There are graphic description of smart, youthful appearances and happy-go-lucky personalities of the friends they once knew in marked comparison to the disasters before them, who seem to be looking and behaving like they have landed from outer space.

 

Invariably, the writers suddenly discover they have nothing in common with the motley lot that form part of a much-awaited reunion, and end up wondering what they had ever seen in one another that had made them inseparable in the good old days. And they vow never to make the mistake of catching up again.

 

But in spite of such horror stories, reunions keep taking place. Perhaps, one doesn’t want to learn from other peoples’ mistakes, or maybe it is a case of wishful thinking on the parts of those, still wanting to try their luck with meeting up with old friends and acquaintances.

 

Aware of all the pitfalls that could well befall us, we had decided to organize a mini reunion one August, some ten years ago, of friends from the university that we were once very close to, some of whom hadn’t met one another for over 20 years. As it turned out, we found that we not only didn’t regret the reunion even for a minute, we actually lived to cherish the day.

 

The idea had dawned on us when Amna probably the craziest of us, who always spoke first and thought later showed up from the US after two decades and got in touch with me.

 

She was on a flying visit, but was due to arrive again in a couple of months for her brothers’ weddings, at which point she was willing to extend her stay if we could round up the gang. I promised to let her know by email, and then set to work.

 

With ten of us targeted for the reunion — the eleventh, Hanan, we had all lost contact with and had no clue where she was — and eight of us based in Karachi  it was admittedly not a marathon task to get in touch with most, although we had not exactly done a great job with keeping up over the years.

 

However, contacting Kamal, the only member of our group other than Amna who was not Karachi-based, proved to be a real challenge. He had been one of the founding members of our gang of ‘baloneys' as we used to call ourselves and had agreed to meet up whenever we would hold a reunion, although at that time we had planned on scheduling it just a few years later. Now, 20 years down the road, no one seemed to know where he was, although there was some talk of him being in Islamabad.

 

Then, suddenly one day we saw him on TV, as a reporter for CNN based in Afghanistan. The voice was unmistakable, although the beard was deceptive enough. From CNN to mutual friends in Abu Dhabi, everyone was tapped into to get hold of his contact until, almost like a telepathic response, he called up himself, after getting my number from a fellow-journalist.

 

So, it was decided that we would spend the day at the French Beach, at a friends hut, and catch up with everyones’ lives. It had been 23 years since any of us had seen Kamal, who had left after the first semester, and at least two decades since most had seen Zubair – the rough one in the group that included Rainie, Farhat and Amna.

 

Annie was another person that hardly any of us were in touch with, but although she eventually did not make it to the reunion, she did come over to meet some of the group members gathered at my place, prior to the picnic.

 

Having made arrangements for a friend’s van to collect us from my house, the eight of us excluding Zubair, who promised to meet us directly as his home is enroute to the beach, a fact that I kept concealed from the rest – as a surprise – clambered on to the van, some of us admittedly, with misgivings.

 

The three that were probably the most at ease in one another’s company were Waleed, Jawed (fondly called Chitta by all his friends, who has also made his mark as a model and TV actor) and Dadi (for some reason no one ever refers to him by his first name), as they had remained more-or-less in touch.

 

Waleed handled the wheels and in true truck-driver fashion – who would believe he has become a lawyer – took charge of the road, while Dadi and Chitta broke the ice by cracking jokes all the way.

 

By the time we arrived at the hut, we had definitely become relaxed except perhaps Kamal, who didn’t really know the three that had become the life of the drive, as they had joined the group after he had left the university.

 

However, the hut, if one dares to call it that, was exactly what was required to instantly soar everyone’s spirits, for the five-star layout of the place took the group completely by surprise.

 

Sumptuous and plentiful food always being the most important ingredient of a successful picnic, the girls had taken the responsibility of arranging for the gastronomical needs of the entire group.

 

While gorging on the spread, we caught up on what had happened in each others lives and took photographs. Some of us had led more exciting lives than others, and as we slid into a comfortable banter possible only among old friends, sharing experiences and recounting fascinating anecdotes, the loud sound of an engine broke our tranquility.

 

My even louder squeal, when I rushed out and spotted Zubair brought everyone out, giving way to greater excitement and shock as we took stock of the one person from the group who had physically changed drastically over the years. Mercifully, though, we discovered him to be as crazy as ever.

 

Amidst tales of five happy marriages, and three unfortunate divorces, we bridged the years between us as we all took a stroll on the beach and also put the strength of poor, misguided camels to the test.

 

The return van journey back home was like a trip down memory lane for we sang and yes, Chitta even danced, all the way back, just as we used to on our field trips. It had been such a carefree, fun day that Farhat, always the quietest and most serious in the group, had to concede that she had never enjoyed herself so much.

 

But what is far more significant is that our reunion didn’t just end with a day of fun and frolic. It marked the beginning of successive get-togethers with our families, and it also became the turning point in the lives of two members of the group that were single.

 

Waleed and Rainie discovered each other after two decades at the picnic and clicked instantly. As a tribute to the reunion, the wedding date was fixed for the same time the following year – exactly one year after the event. It seems like some re-unions are made in heaven, after all.

Arbaeen in Iraq -- An exhilarating and excruciating experience

By Shanaz Ramzi

   The advent, or should I say departure, of Moharram will forever more make me nostalgic about my surreal experience last year during chehlum or arbaeen, at the annual pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala, culminating at imam Husain’s roza, that I undertook for the first time. Arbaeen till this year, would normally attract eight times the number of people that perform Haj, and I was told that last year the number was even greater than usual. Now, of course thanks to covid-19 the world has changed – and who knows if Iraq will still welcome pilgrims to congregate in the phenomenal numbers it used to. All I can say is I am grateful for having had the opportunity, even if it was an experience that was as excruciating as it was exhilarating. 

   The trek is mostly undertaken by pilgrims all the way on foot, some even barefoot, although a few do opt to walk as much as they can and then take a public transport to cover the remaining portion. Depending on their energy, speed and health it takes anywhere from three to six days for pilgrims to complete the entire walk, and no words can do justice to that experience. It is not a matter of faith, for one finds people of all religions partaking in this amazing exercise – that at once unites, bonds, levels, impoverishes and enriches all – no matter where they hail from and what their belief. 

   Our team of six, comprising five ladies and one gentleman, had arrived at Najaf at night and checked in into a hotel, where we grabbed a few winks before getting up at 3 am to leave for hazrat Ali’s roza, the start of our journey. We left our suitcases behind to be picked up by Baron Hotel, Karbala, so that we had nothing but our knapsacks to carry while doing the trek on foot – which too began to weigh like a ton of bricks by the time we were done.

  After offering our fajr prayers we set off. From the roza to zero point, where the walk officially begins, is a distance of 9.1 km – marked by 182 poles, as every km has 20 poles. Little did we know then that these non-descript electric poles bearing these numbers were going to become our lifeline over the coming days, for every pole we would pass would give us hope of a destination coming closer, and encourage us to trudge on further, till we ultimately reached the final pole -- 1452.  

   While traversing the distance before reaching zero point, we kept noticing the number of people joining the procession from all sides, every step of the way, till finally from zero point onwards everyone was just walking in one direction. However, I was a little surprised that there didn’t seem to be as many people at the walk as I was expecting -- and when we later stopped for lunch, discovered why. 

   But, crowds aside, the walk is a sight to behold. After every few feet you find someone – it may be a child standing barefoot in the scorching heat, in the middle of the road from where the procession passes, offering ice-cold water on thaals that are bigger than them, or holding out tissues, or just spraying you with sprinklers to beat the heat; or an elderly female, offering hot goodies of every variety, or juices; or a young gentleman swiftly cutting large wedges of chilled watermelon and offering it to everyone. Huge dustbins are placed everywhere, so that no one has an excuse to litter the path, and volunteers are continuously and speedily emptying the bins. And all this with a smile on their faces! There are even volunteers who set up temporary kiosks to fix broken shoes, and some who offer their services for mending tires of broken wheel-chairs, strollers or luggage trolleys. Nothing less than angels in human guise they invariably appeared before you with the very thing you might have thought you needed, the moment you thought of it -- – be it cold water or tissue, etc.

   What’s more, after every few feet there is a mowkab where pilgrims can rest their tired feet, partake of meals, use washrooms, take a nap, wash clothes, and even get a massage done – all for free by volunteers who come from different parts of the world to offer this service every year. Some of them are temporary shelters set up just for these days, others are actual homes of Iraqis – their drawing rooms, lounges, gardens, and even garages -- that the residents transform into rest houses for the pilgrims to use. 

   Walking almost non-stop, we reached the Pakistani moqab 72, where we stopped for lunch and rest. It was here that we discovered why the throngs of people at the walk were relatively less than what I had expected – most people had already reached Karbala, and we were told that we had in fact, started our walk too late, so much so that even the volunteers who had been serving us lunch and cleaning the toilets, etc, at the moqab were packing up, so that they could take public transport while it was still available, to convey them to Karbala. Apparently, the target should be to reach Karbala latest the day before chehlum, ideally before asr, and not on chehlum day as we had planned, as roads get blocked and it takes very long to reach the roza and also since all volunteers want to be in Karbala for chehlum as well, there is little or no facilitation on the way two days prior – which was when we had started our walk! We had planned on averaging 25 km a day over three days, and now realized that would not be possible as we just had the next day to complete our walk.

   After much debate and discussion we decided that since there was no way we would make it in time for chehlum if we just continued with our original plan of walking all the way, we should traverse some distance the next day by cab, and then complete the remaining span on foot. More determined than ever to meet what we had set as our day’s target, we resumed our walk, stopping only for maghrib prayers at a moqab where the volunteers immediately tended to our needs. 

   After prayers we set off again. So charged were we that we hadn’t stopped to eat dinner at any of the moqabs earlier, thinking that all the goodies constantly offered on the way would suffice, but as soon as it had become dark, the volunteers, even those offering water, had begun to become few and far between, and we realized that most people had already packed up and started to make their way to Karbala themselves.  

   Famished, and stopping every now and then at a moqab to check if there was any food available, we had almost given up, when we found a huge kiosk with volunteers making fresh falafel sandwiches on a conveyor belt, rapidly churning out the most deliciously prepared falafels ever eaten! Rejuvinated, we walked on, looking for a moqab where we could crash for the night, but again, we discovered to our chagrin, that most had shut down! But miracles were not in short supply. When we reached pole 327 where moqab Karavan e hind was – which had also shut down – the caretaker took one look at us and said that though all the volunteers had left and his place was closed, there was one air-conditioned room which had just been vacated by his family so we could all sleep there, undisturbed by anyone! What’s more, the volunteers had cleaned all the bathrooms before going, and there were WCs to boot! Had we reached this moqab even a night earlier, there would have been no way that we would have found space even in their common area meant for all pilgrims, let alone this special room! So, as they say whatever happens, happens for the best! Having altogether walked 25.45 km that day, we all slept soundly till fajr. 

   Right after fajr, we resumed our walk again, getting delicious anda roti for breakfast from the few volunteers that were still around. We walked another 8.75 km till pole 502, and then took a taxi in which we crammed ourselves for a two-hour drive till pole 1087. We ate and rested at the moqab there, to avoid walking in the scorching sun, and then resumed our walk when it became a little cooler. Stopping just to offer our magrib prayers we trudged on till pole 1412 which was the last pole before Karbala border. From here the atmosphere became electric with a sea of energized people moving towards imam Hussain’s roza, another 6 km away. By the time we eventually made it to our hotel we had walked 32.5 km altogether just that day -- 60.2 km in two days! Every bone in my body was screaming in pain, but it was an experience I would not have missed for the world.