Balochistan is home to most of the mineral resources available in Pakistan and it possess great explored and unexplored potential of metallic and non-metallic minerals, some of which are currently being exploited and some which have future plans of exploitation.

Reko Diq is a small town in Chagai District, Balochistan, Pakistan. The town is located in a desert area, 70 kilometers north-west of Naukundi, close to Pakistan’s border with Iran and Afghanistan due to which it is located in the Tethyan belt that stretches all the way from Turkey and Iran into Pakistan. Reko Diq which translated into a sandy peak in the Baluchi Language is famous due to its Reko Diqmine which is known for its vast Gold and Copper Reserves and is believed to have the world’s 5^th largest gold deposit.

The mine has an estimated reserve of 5.9 billion tonnes of ore grading 0.41% copper and gold reserves amounting to 41.5 million oz. The area is under the control of the Tethyan Copper Company which holds 50% of the share and the company completed a feasibility report in respect for the project and submitted it to the Government of Balochistan.

The initial plan contemplate or hopes that in the processing plant about 110.000 tons of ore per day will be processed and transported to Gwadar through a pipeline to a marine terminal facility for storage and transfer. The proposed processing plant will produce approximately 600,000 tons of copper concentrate  a year, which will contain 28-31% copper and 7-22 g/ton gold which translates to about 200,000 tons of copper and 250,000 ounces of gold per year.

The mine has an estimated life of over 56 years with an estimated annual operating expense of US$400 million. The mining initiative is committed to the development of the project in order to cause the potential transformation of Balochistan’s dormant mineral resources into profitable mineral reserves. The project also will significantly contribute to the uplift of the local people and strengthen the economy in general by generating long term revenues in the form of royalties, taxes, profit-sharing and employment opportunities.

As soon as the Reko Diq project will go into development it will become the road for further investment in the exploration and mining sectors in Balochistan hence Pakistan in general.

Child labor is the employment of children for work which causes them mental, physical, moral and social harm. The  Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated that in the 1990s, 11 million children were working in the country, half of which were under the age of 10.

More than 12.5 million children are involved in child labor in Pakistan. According to Reuters, “Pakistan’s Labor Force Survey, 2014-15 showed that of those children aged between 10 and 14 years active in child labor, 61 percent were boys and 88 percent came from rural areas.”

The International Labor Organization (ILO) suggests that poverty is the greatest cause for child labor in Pakistan. As of 2008, 17.2% of the total population lives below the poverty line, which is the lowest figure in the history of Pakistan. Over the years the government of Pakistan has taken several measures to put an end to child labor.

The Children Support Program is one which given money to parents to send their children to school rather than to work and is eligible for children from the age of 5 to 16. So far the government has distributed almost $3 million to families.

In 2017 a bill passed by the Sindh Government called, The Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill banned children under the age of 14 to work. The law also prohibit children from the age of 13 to 19 from working between the hours of 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. and for those who opt to work are only allowed to work three hours a day. The bill also states that anyone caught not abiding by the law will be imprisoned for six months and fined Rs. 50,000. It also states that factory owners or offenders caught with child labor taking place in dangerous workplaces will be sentenced to imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 100,000.

Several NGO groups have also been creating awareness against child labor in Pakistan. An NGO called Save the Children has been working with the sporting goods manufacturers represented by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce, and Industry and their international partner brands, represented by the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry. This joint venture makes sure that no children are employed in the stitching of footballs factories.

Child labor over the years has slowly decreased and will continue to decrease in Pakistan until it is completely eliminated with the help of measures taken by the government and awareness created by NGOs.

According to the Ministry of Interior the current wave of terrorism in Pakistan started in 2000 and poses as a serious threat to the citizens on Pakistan. Terrorism declined over the duration of recent years after strict military actions after its peak in 2009. According to South Asian Terrorism Portal Index (SATP), terrorism in Pakistan has declined by 89% in 2017 since its peak years in 2009.

A number of reasons were responsible for the decaying law and order situation in Pakistan including the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, internal issues as well as international meddling. All these factors have played a negative role.

To counter the terrorist attacks Pakistan launched a pursuit of Al-Qaeda members in 2004. In 2012 an All Parties Conference was held and it was decided that negotiation shall take place with the militants as a first option in order to counter terrorism. A military operation named, Operation Zarb-e-Azb was started against Politicial and Terrorist Parties like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundallah, al-Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Haqqani network.

Pakistan Government and Army have joined forces and worked together in order to fight against terrorism and have successfully over the years countered terrorist attacks while reducing the number of attacks in Pakistan.