IN 2006 the US Geological Survey and the UK Geological Survey carried out extensive airborne magnetic, gravity and hyperspectral surveys of Afghanistan. These surveys were followed by physical spot checks by geologists of the deposit sites.

These surveys found economically exploitable deposits of iron ore (major deposit), aluminium, gold, silver, copper (very big deposit), zinc, mercury, lithium and rare earth (big deposit).

It is now an established fact that Afghanistan will be a very rich country once it develops these huge mineral deposits. Afghanistan’s President Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai realises that to exploit the deposits, it is essential for Afghanistan to develop the infrastructure consisting of railways, roads and electric transmission network, water resources and railways and modern motorway links with Pakistan and China.

It was in quest of this objective that the Afghan President’s first port of call was China where he was received at the airport by the Chinese President which shows the visit’s importance. The recent visit of the Afghan President to Pakistan is obviously another step in the same direction.

China is the only country today that has the financial wealth, expertise and will to bear the expense to develop the infrastructure in Afghanistan and integrate it with the China-Pakistan economic corridor.

These development projects can only be executed if total peace is restored to Afghanistan. It is in search of peace that President Ghani has taken on board all significant representatives of the stakeholders who took part in the recent election.

The Taliban of Mullah Omar is the only group up in arms against the Afghan government. President Ghani’s visit to Pakistan has to be viewed in this background. Afghanistan needs Pakistan’s cooperation to eliminate insurgency either by force or through accommodation.

Pakistan’s recent agreements with Russia and the understanding reached with the US will create conditions for the elimination of terrorists in Pakistan. If Pakistan and Afghanistan can establish peaceful conditions, there is a great future for the whole region.

Inam Khawaja

New York

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014