By SAJID MAHMOOD Dated: 25/09/2025
Across the world, natural resources are regarded as a force that can transform a nation’s destiny. But the real question is: are the treasures buried beneath the earth the only true wealth? A closer look at Pakistan’s economy reveals a surprising reality: our real gold is not hidden in the mountains but rather grows in our fields, takes shape in our factories and reaches global markets through human skill and ingenuity. Pakistan may earn around two billion dollars annually from its gold reserves but when and with what consistency this income will begin remains uncertain. In contrast, Pakistan’s IT sector is already generating more than 2.5 billion dollars each year, clear proof that our true minerals are human resources and hard work.
If Sialkot is bringing in six billion dollars through surgical and sports goods and Punjab’s rice and Faisalabad’s textile exports together exceed ten billion dollars then the question arises: why are we overlooking our real wealth, agriculture and in particular cotton?
Cotton is the backbone of our textile industry and provides Pakistan with over 16 billion dollars in annual exports. On the other hand, the combined value of Balochistan’s gas and gold hardly touches one billion dollars. This makes it evident that for Pakistan the true gold does not lie buried in the earth but rather in cotton, agriculture, industry and IT, sectors that continuously generate the foreign exchange our economy depends upon.