Overview
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who led a review Monday, ordered a comprehensive strategy to align gemstone mining and processing with global standards.
- The government is setting up three Centres of Excellence for skills and processing, with land secured in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and a site in Islamabad still being located.
- The Ministry of Planning will present an export plan for processed gemstones soon, with the prime minister stressing transparency and timely delivery.
- About 1,000 people are training in modern mining practices, with specialized technical support planned from Sri Lanka and China.
- Pakistan’s first international gemstone exhibition is planned for July 2026 to showcase locally cut and polished stones and attract buyers.