Lime stone is chief raw material for manufacturing
cement and is also used in the manufacturing of glass, soap, paper, paints,
lime and, bleaching powder etc.
Pure limestone is calcium carbonate but in rocks it
is invariably mixed with impurities.
Pakistan has large deposits of limestone, which
constitute a large part of the sedimentary rocks of Pakistan. Although
limestone is wide spread, but some areas have concentrated deposits.
The Salt Range, the trans--Indus Salt Range, the
Potwar Plateau and Margala hills have rich deposits of lime stone and Daud Khel
deposits are particularly notable among these.
The limestone deposits of Zinda Pir (D.C. Khan) the
Pezuand Moghalkot (D.l. Khan) and Kohat & Nowshera are also among notable.
In Sindh, the Ganjo Takkar, Murli Hills, Mango Pir,
Cape Monze, Kot Diji and Ranipir are some important limestone reserve areas,
which provide raw material for many cement factories in Sindh.
In Baluchistan province, although limestone
deposits are located at various places, but Harnai deposits are notable and are
fairly large.
At the time of independence (1947) the production
of limestone due to local market was very limited (0.34 million tonnes), but
with the establishment of cement and other raw (limestone) material consuming
industries, its production increased very rapidly.
During 2000-01, limestone production was 10,868 thousand
tonnes, but during 1997-98, it was 11,166 thousand tonnes it fluctuate with the
demanded production of the cement. Due to rapidly increasing production of
cement, production of cement during 2007-08 was more than 31 million tonnes —
31789 thousand metric tonnes.