FAISALABAD: The United Business Group (UBG) of FPCCI on Sunday said mineral deposits in Waziristan tribal region are enough to change the fate of country therefore these should be exploited without any delay.

Military operation led by COAS Gen. Raheel Sharif is to bring the lawless region to the national mainstream soon which will be beginning of a new era of prosperity, it said.

Hundreds of businessmen who left that area under fear and now coming back which is a very positive sign, said Chairman North Zone of UBG and FPCCI presidential candidate Abdul Rauf Alam.

Talking to President ICCI Atif Ikram Sheikh, known investor of Malakand Iftikhar Khan, Chairman Coordination FPCCI Malik Sohail and UBG leader Karim Aziz Malik, he said that the tribal region is full of precious stones, gold, silver, copper worth billions of dollars, granite, marble and 36000 million tonnes of chromate.

Moreover, he said, only one spot has oil and gas enough for forty years of country’s total requirement which must be exploited.

Abdul Rauf Alam said that sacrifices of army has changed the situation therefore government should not waste time and start using these resources of national development which will also improve living standard of local population which is best weapon against terrorism.

He also demanded technical education of local people as using non-technical methods like blasting, using bulldozers etc. continue to waste sizable amount of minerals.

Steps must be taken to save locals from exploitation of dealers who buy gold attached to copper at dirt cheap price as natives cannot differentiate between them.

INP