Pakistan’s recent finding of 32.6 metric tonnes, worth Rs 600 billion in gold, was discovered in the Indus River’s Attock district. According to the GSP, this finding has the potential to significantly alter the country’s economic standing moving forward.

Earlier this year, China had reported an astonishing 7 lakh crore of gold deposits, in which case the Indian media reported of Pingjiang County’s northeastern region having about 1000 metric tonnes of enriched ore. Estimates claim that this ore has the potential to amount to around Rs 6.91 trillion.

A Remarkable Finding At A Time Of Distress

These gold reserves, if successfully extracted and utilized, can aid Pakistan in overcoming its enduring economic troubles while generating an adequate amount of revenue and profit.

Ibrahim Hasan Murad, the mining minister of Punjab, announced the find after ‘extensive geophysical studies’. Owing to the rise in illegal mining activities, the government aims to bring a limit on the violence.

The deposits run parallel to the Indus River, with the Attock region having the largest concentration, over 32 kilometers in length . Other findings include the Peshawar and Mardan basins, and additional districts in Khyber and Punjab.

Illegal mining has led to the government of Pakistan banning the activity in 2022 violators will be penalised under section 144, although measures for extraction have been discussed. The aim of this task is to map Pakistan’s mineral resources and constructions.

Due to tectonic activity millions of years ago, minerals were poured in the Indus River by the Himalayan mountain ranges. As the river passes through various regions in Pakistan, it collects gold along the bank which becomes a accessible during the winter season when the water levels drop.

Bureaucratic issues have made it difficult for the reserves to be put to good use because of an imbalance of power between provincial officials, and there are plans to control the mining for illegal use of resources but won't be the best course of action.