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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pink salt's export potential remains untapped
Beneath Karachi's blistering sun, a salt farmer harvests shimmering sea crystals in a coastal area — a backbreaking labour that yields just Rs1,000 a day. Each grain tells a story of toil, endurance, and the quiet dignity of labour. PHOTO: ONLINE Even though India's ban on Pakistani pink salt has opened up new opportunities for local traders in other international markets, the true potential of the profitable sector remains untapped since Pakistan, till date, has not been able to develop a value-adding system for processing and rebranding what many consider to be the world's healthiest salt. A local salt exporter, Muhammad Riaz, revealed that even in the past, governments were advised to export Pakistan's unique salt with value addition, but none took serious steps while India continued to market Pakistani salt as its own across global markets. "Indian traders are currently obtaining salt through Dubai. During the tenure of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, a proposal had been made for Pakistan to export salt directly to other countries rather than allowing India to benefit from it. Presently, Pakistani salt exporters are again emphasizing that salt should not be exported as a raw material but instead should be processed and branded, enabling Pakistan to boost exports and earn valuable foreign exchange," noted Riaz. Sources indicate that the ongoing political tensions between Pakistan and India have severely affected trade, pushing traders on both sides to adopt new strategies. From November 2023 to October 2024, Pakistan remained a major exporter of pink salt. During this period, 3,789 shipments of Himalayan salt were exported, marking a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year. In 2023, India had imported 462 metric tons of Himalayan pink salt from Pakistan, which increased to 642 metric tons in 2024. However, these numbers are still significantly lower compared to 2018 (74,457 metric tons) and 2019 (72,631 metric tons). After India imposed a direct ban on the import of Pakistani salt in 2019, trade was completely halted. As a result, India lost access to the inexpensive pink salt it used to source from Pakistan. However, Indian traders continue to import this salt through other countries, rebrand it, and sell it under their own labels. Although the volume of trade has decreased, indirect exports of Pakistani salt to India are still ongoing. For years, India earned substantial profits by purchasing this salt at low prices and selling it for much more. Previously, India used to receive cheap salt via the Wagah land route, but now it has to pay significantly more to acquire it. Since the complete suspension of trade through Wagah following the Pahalgam incident, relations between the two countries have become increasingly strained. In the meantime, Indian traders have started importing Pakistani pink salt via third countries. In this way, Indian companies are continuing to trade Pakistani salt through indirect means and earning profits through value addition. After the Pulwama attack in 2019, India imposed a 200 per cent tariff on Pakistani goods, which drastically reduced trade. As a result, exports of Pakistani pink salt to India became negligible. In 2025, a complete ban was enforced on salt trade, and now it is expected that even indirect trade through third countries may come to a halt. Due to the halt in the import of Pakistani Himalayan pink salt, local prices in India have surged. Salt that was previously sold for 45 to 50 Indian rupees per kilogram is now priced at up to 150 Indian rupees per kilogram. Hence, India is now looking towards countries like the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Iran, Australia, and Afghanistan to meet its salt requirements. In the meanwhile, during the first five months of 2025, Pakistan's salt exports to China increased by 38 per cent. Exporters say that in Punjab, the Mines and Minerals Department is actively extracting salt from mines, and salt reserves have been leased to the private sector. This has enabled private companies to play a more active role in increasing exports. "The government needs to stop the export of raw salt entirely and focus on value-added products," implored Riaz.
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Punjab takes over long-stalled hospital project
Following years of federal inaction, the Punjab government is set to revive the long-abandoned Rawalpindi Mother and Child Hospital project under its Annual Development Programme (ADP). The revised plan envisions the completion of the facility as a state-of-the-art Children's Hospital, with the project's cost now escalated to Rs9 billion. PHOTO: EXPRESS The long-delayed Rawalpindi Mother and Child Hospital project — under construction for the past 22 years and with its cost rising from Rs1.5 billion to Rs9b billion — has now been transferred from the federal to the Punjab government, which will construct a Children's Hospital instead. The status of the project has been revised, and it has been decided to complete the unfinished building and establish a Children's Hospital instead. The Punjab government has issued a notification to include the project in its Annual Development Programme (ADP) and to prepare a new PC-1 for its execution. The foundation stone of the hospital was laid by two former Prime Ministers, Shaukat Aziz and Imran Khan. In addition, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Saqib Nisar visited the site just 23 days before the 2018 general elections and announced that the project would be completed under the supervision of a special cell of the Supreme Court. According to the notification issued on June 16 by the Secretary, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Punjab, Dr Hina Sattar, Head of Paediatrics at Rawalpindi Medical University, has been appointed as Project Director for the establishment of the Children's Hospital under the ADP. She will coordinate with Assistant Professor Dr Masood Sadiq, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore, to prepare a revised PC-1 for the project. It is worth noting that former federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had facilitated the foundation-laying of a 200-bed Mother and Child Hospital by then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the federal government formed after the 2002 elections. At the time, the total estimated cost of the project was Rs1.5b. However, the project remained incomplete during the five-year tenure of that government. While the main structure was constructed, critical work, including finishing, renovation, machinery installation, and recruitment of human resources, was never completed. From 2008 to 2017, the project remained abandoned. Then, on July 1, 2018 — just 23 days before the general elections — then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, along with Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, visited the site and announced that the SC's special cell would now oversee the project's completion. Later, after the PTI came to power following the 2018 elections, then Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the site once again and reiterated the promise to complete the hospital. Despite significant progress during PTI's three-and-a-half-year tenure, the project still could not be completed. The construction eventually halted, and the partially built structure began to deteriorate due to weather and neglect. Now, the project — previously under federal jurisdiction — has officially been handed over to the Punjab government, which will provide the funding and complete the project as a Children's Hospital under a new PC-1.
