Islamabad: The Federal Government has approved the National Gemstone Policy 2026–2030, aimed at transforming Pakistan’s gemstone industry into a modern, export-oriented sector. The policy seeks to formalize the largely undocumented gemstone trade, encourage value addition through local cutting and polishing, improve certification standards, attract domestic and foreign investment, and modernize mining practices. The government also plans to establish a statutory authority to oversee implementation and increase annual gemstone exports to around $500 million by 2030. Pakistan possesses significant gemstone reserves, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, but the sector has remained underdeveloped due to limited processing capacity and weak regulation.
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