The Importance Of Pakistani Salt In India

India solely depends on Pakistan to meet its salt needs.

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 13th March, 2019) Due to recent Pak-India tensions, the relations between the two countries worsened.

Following the escalations, India made all efforts to isolate and defame Pakistan but could not succeed. India also stopped the import of tomatoes to Pakistan however an institution in Faisalabad has developed a hybrid seed, which will be able to produce tomatoes all year.

India failed at this attempt as Indian farmers are now upset over their tomatoes not being sold.

Recently, India imposed taxes on all the products imported from Pakistan except salt.

Salt is the main requirement in India and is more expensive there as compared to Pakistan.

To teach India a lesson, people are demanding that Pakistan should stop exporting salt to India as the salt we get from Khewra mines is a prime requirement of India.

Pakistani salt is an important ingredient in the food prepared in India. Salt prices are much higher in India as it does not have any salt mine. India solely depends on Pakistan to meet its salt needs.

In 1947, India had made an agreement with Pakistan and according to which, Pakistan would continue to provide salt to India regardless of peace and war, and its export will not be stopped.

Similarly, India had also agreed that it will not stop Pakistan's water, but India has blocked Pakistan’s water by building dams on the rivers, which is a violation of this agreement.

As Pakistan wants peace with India, it has continued to provide salt to their neighbouring country to meet its domestic needs.

Interestingly, India sells the same salt of Khewra mine with its own name to other countries.

The Pakistani salt goes from India to Israel, where it is packed and sold in the whole world. India is earning billions by selling this salt while Pakistan only earns a few crores.

India sells this salt by branding it as "Himalayan salt".

Pakistan’s Khewra mine is famous for its production of pink Himalayan salt. Its history dates back to its discovery by Alexander's troops in 320 BC, but it started trading in the Mughal era. The main tunnel at ground level was developed by Dr. H. Warth, a mining engineer, in 1872 during British rule.

After independence, the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation took over the mine, which still remains the largest source of salt in the country, producing more than 350,000 tons per annum of about 99% pure halite. Estimates of the reserves of salt in the mine vary from 82 million tons to 600 million tons.