Summary Pakistan has moved to establish three Centres of Excellence for gemstone processing and mining, aiming to raise exports, improve skills and modernise the sector through international collaboration.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to formulate a comprehensive strategy to modernise Pakistan’s precious stones sector and increase exports, while reviewing plans to establish three Centres of Excellence for gemstone mining and processing.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Sunday, the prime minister said Pakistan possessed vast natural wealth, particularly in precious stones, and stressed the sector could become a major contributor to export-led growth through value addition and modern processing.
He instructed the Ministry of Planning to prepare and present an action plan aimed at increasing gemstone exports after processing, while emphasising transparency in the establishment of the planned centres.
Officials told the meeting that three Centres of Excellence were being developed to improve standards in gemstone cutting, polishing and jewellery-making. Land has already been allocated in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while work is under way for a third centre in Islamabad.
The centres are expected to provide training in line with international standards to equip local workers with modern skills and strengthen Pakistan’s competitiveness in global gemstone markets.
The meeting was also informed that Pakistan plans to host its first international gemstones exhibition in July 2026 as part of efforts to attract foreign interest and promote exports.
Officials said training programmes in gemstone processing were also being launched with support from Sri Lanka and China, while the Ministry of Petroleum was promoting modern mining techniques aimed at minimising waste.
Around 1,000 individuals are set to receive internationally aligned mining training, while community-based partnership projects are also being introduced in mining regions.
The prime minister was briefed on implementation timelines and reiterated the need for coordinated and practical measures to transform the gemstone sector into an important pillar of the export economy.
