The marble industry in Pakistan will get four technical groups to recommend fixes on finishing standards, technology upgradation, value addition (turning raw stone into finished products that sell for more) and export promotion. Advisor to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan announced the groups while chairing a meeting of the Steering Committee on the National Marble and Natural Stone Policy on Thursday, 15 October. The groups will identify practical solutions to sector-specific problems and draft a roadmap to make Pakistani marble more competitive in international markets.
Why the government is acting
The Prime Minister set up the steering committee to tackle long-standing problems in the marble and natural stone sector, unlock its export potential and bring production in line with international standards. A steering committee is a body that guides policy work by bringing officials and industry together. Khan said the sector could add to industrial growth, employment and foreign exchange earnings (dollars earned from sales abroad), provided it moved beyond conventional extraction toward modern processing, quality finishing and higher value-added products. The meeting was attended by Rana Ihsan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry, Ahsan Ali Mangi, Secretary Industries and Production, the chief executive of the Pakistan Stone Development Company, and private sector representatives.
What private sector players described
Private sector representatives named outdated extraction techniques, weak access to modern technology, logistical problems, limited value addition and thin access to international markets as the main constraints. They said conventional blasting, the use of explosives to break rock in quarries, often wastes large amounts of usable marble and lowers overall productivity. They called for modern extraction methods, better processing and stronger finishing standards so that Pakistani marble can compete abroad. Participants also urged attention to logistics and market development, dedicated exhibitions to connect manufacturers with overseas buyers, and wider promotion of marble handicrafts and the stone's durability for construction and architecture.
What happens next
Khan said the ministry would work closely with industry stakeholders to develop a comprehensive framework for the marble industry in Pakistan. The meeting expressed confidence that better technology, less wastage, higher value addition and stronger export links could make the sector more competitive and productive. The four groups will feed their recommendations into the committee, and the meeting said coordinated work between government and private sector would turn the aims of the National Marble and Natural Stone Policy 2026–2030 into practical measures. The official account gives no deadlines for the groups' recommendations and cites no production, export or price figures, so the scale and timing of any change remain unclear.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hukumat ne marble industry ko behtar banane ke liye chaar technical groups banaye hain. Ye groups finishing, technology, value addition aur marble export promotion par sifarishen denge. Is ka faida aam logon ko dheere dheere mil sakta hai, jaise behtar marble aur zyada kaam ke mauqay, lekin abhi koi waqt ya figure nahi diya gaya. Filhal ghar banane ya marble kharidne walon ke liye koi faur tabdeeli nahi hai.
