24 July 2004	Saturday	06 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

PESHAWAR, July 23: Speakers at a conference underlined the need for upgrading the mineral sector for sustainable development and making the mineral industry environment-friendly.

Speaking at the concluding session of a three-day conference on "Economic and environmental sustainability of mineral resources of Pakistan" at Baragali on Thursday, Dr Hameedullah, chief organizer and director of the National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, highlighted the importance of natural resources' potential and its role in the environmentally sustainable economic development of the country.

He said that mineral industry could play an important role in economic development of a country. However, mineral processing always posed threat to environment especially in developing countries. He said up gradation of the sector in the country could help to make it an economically viable and environment-friendly industry.

Vice-chancellor of Peshawar University Mumtaz Gul said that Pakistan had been endowed with large mineral potential and it should be used properly for the growth and prosperity of the country.

Mr Mumtaz Gul said that it was universally accepted that minerals were generators of economic growth and for sustainable development of the country this sector must be developed.

There must be co-ordination between mineral industry and universities to get maximum benefit from these resources, he said. Mr Gul said that research was the main source of ultimate development and growth.

It should be focused with a clear vision and should result in recommendations which were useful and relevant to ground realities. He said that research was always a priority area for the university and the present administration had allocated sufficient funds for research activities.

Dr Tahir Shah, convener of the conference said that this kind of meetings would go a long way in creating awareness about mineral potential of the country. He said that a college of earth sciences at Baragali summer camp would be soon established which would be a platform for discussing new developments and emerging challenges in the field of earth sciences.