KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday that the provincial government’s vision was to unlock Sindh’s mineral wealth through scientific exploration, responsible extraction, modern technology and value addition, so that natural resources became a source of prosperity and better livelihoods for the people.
Presiding over a meeting at the CM House, he reviewed Sindh’s coal and non-coal mineral resources, ongoing mining projects and opportunities for domestic and international investment.
According to a press statement issued by the CM House, Mines and Minerals Minister Syed Sardar Shah gave a detailed briefing on the province’s mineral reserves, existing operations, investment potential and the government’s strategy for sustainable mineral development.
The meeting was told that the Thar coalfield holds reserves of 175 billion tonnes, with an estimated energy equivalent of 50 billion tonnes of oil and coal-related gas-equivalent resources of 2,000 trillion cubic feet, giving it enormous potential for indigenous energy production and industrial development.
Mr Shah reviewed two major Thar coal mining and power generation projects developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) early harvest programme.
The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), set up as a public-private partnership, has a mining capacity of 11.2 million tonnes a year and a power generation capacity of 1,980 megawatts. The Sindh government holds 54.7 per cent of the company and Engro and its associates 45.3 per cent. The provincial government invested Rs12.9 billion in equity.
The Sino-Sindh Resources Limited (SSRL), established by Chinese investors, has a mining capacity of 7.8 million tonnes a year and a power generation capacity of 1,320MW, with private investment of more than $2.6 billion. The project is also helping save foreign exchange by replacing coal imports.
Investment in other minerals
The minister briefed the chief minister on investment opportunities in non-coal minerals, including granite, iron ore, marble, limestone, celestite, China clay, silica sand and lake salt.
Granite deposits in Nagarparkar, Tharparkar, offer opportunities for dimension stone, decorative products and cutting and polishing industries, the meeting heard, while iron ore deposits in Thatta, Jamshoro and Tharparkar have potential for steel-related industries, exploration and beneficiation. Marble deposits in Thatta and Jamshoro could support finished stone products, and limestone reserves across Khairpur, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Thatta and Karachi could support the cement and construction industries.
The meeting was also told that the province offered investment opportunities in celestite in Jamshoro, China clay in Tharparkar, silica sand in Jamshoro and Thatta, and lake salt in Dadu, Sanghar and Tharparkar, particularly in processing, refining, manufacturing and value-added products.
Local development
The meeting also reviewed the government’s framework for ethical governance, social responsibility and environmental protection in the mining sector.
The minister cited the Thar coal projects as examples of how mining could contribute to local development through jobs, education, healthcare, clean drinking water and community infrastructure.
Under Block-I, he said, about 5,000 jobs had been created, with around 97 per cent of the workforce drawn from Sindh. More than 20,000 direct local jobs had been reported cumulatively during project development and implementation. The project had also provided a 250-bed hospital in Islamkot, healthcare facilities, reverse osmosis plants and technical training for local youth.
Under Block-II, about 2,350 local people were employed through SECMC-related operations, 94 per cent of the workforce being from Sindh, including 60 per cent from Thar. Seven medical facilities provide free healthcare, and 33 reverse osmosis plants supply clean drinking water to local communities.
The briefing also covered environmental initiatives, including the planting of more than 1.3 million trees under the Thar Million Tree Programme, water treatment and reuse, biodiversity conservation, bio-saline agriculture and progressive land rehabilitation. It also highlighted alternative uses of Thar coal, particularly briquetting and coal-to-urea production, which could support industrial growth, food security and foreign exchange savings.
The chief minister reaffirmed that the Sindh government would open up the province’s mineral resources, saying that coal and other minerals had enormous potential to drive industrialisation, strengthen energy security, create jobs and accelerate economic growth.
Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2026
