Slug : Thar Coal Gap
KARACHI
In 2019, top leaders in Sindh promised that every rupee earned from the massive Thar Coal project would go back into developing the Tharparkar district.
Fast forward to 2026, and those bold words have yet to turn into reality for the local people. A new report reveals a heartbreaking gap between the project’s massive profits and the area’s deep poverty.
Between 2023 and 2025, the provincial government collected an estimated 50 billion Pakistani rupees in royalties from coal extraction. Despite this huge windfall, the actual money spent on the district is just a tiny fraction of what was earned. While officials point to new roads and schools, the facts on the ground tell a different story. Tharparkar remains one of the poorest places in Pakistan, with nearly 77 percent of its people living in poverty.
The problem isn’t just a lack of money; it is a lack of a plan. Currently, there is no legal system or law that forces the government to move these coal profits into local development funds. Without a strict rule in place, the billions earned from the land stay in provincial accounts rather than helping the thirsty, marginalized communities living right above the coal mines.
For the residents of Tharparkar, the “black gold” beneath their feet has brought more dust than prosperity. Until the government creates a transparent, legally binding way to share the wealth, the promise of a better life remains nothing more than empty talk.
