Pakistani Sindhi Women Wedding Fashion 2014 Bridal Jewellery 53

Pakistani Sindhi Women Wedding Fashion 2014 Bridal Jewellery.

By Samina Aamir.

The first gemstone mine in Pakistan was discovered in 1951, in the Haramosh Range in Gilgit. But it took no less than 27 years for the establishment of Gemstones Corporation of Pakistan (GEMCP), under the administrative control of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources, in 1978. GEMCP was responsible for exploring, mining, auctioning and exports of gemstones. Within 15 years of its establishment, GEMCP was disbanded in 1993-94 and private sector was encouraged to invest in the sector. The impact of privatization proved to be positive, as exports of gemstones have risen since then, albeit slightly. In 2003, the total value of gemstones export was worth US$4 million. Factors including lack of appropriate skills, vested interest, regulatory bottlenecks, technological limitation and so forth, have been responsible for hindering the efforts of new investors to make any significant progress in this regard.