In order to upgrade the mining sector, PM Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a 12-member ministerial committee to explore avenues for development of the mining sector and address the issue of coalminers. The committee is formed with multiple domains including: Minister for Power(convener); Minister for Industries and Production (member); Minister for Housing and Works (member); Minister of State for Petroleum; Minister of State for Finance (member); Secretary Petroleum Division(Secretary/ member); Secretary Finance Division (member); Secretary Power Division; Secretary Industries and Production (member); Chairman FBR; Provincial Secretaries of Mines and Mineral Department (member); and any expert(s) to be co-opted with the approval of the Convener. The Committee will submit its report on the first ToR, i.e., with regard to granting industry status to mining sector, within 7 days, positively, while it may conclude its recommendations on the second and third ToRs, within three weeks. The comprised committee will suggest productive teps to strengthen the capacity building of the Ministries/ Divisions which should include a time bound framework for recruitment of highly skilled human resource/ sectoral experts within Ministries/ Divisions.
