Air Karachi chairman and former senior vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Hanif Gohar has said that gold reserves valued at $636 billion have been discovered in the soil of Tarbela Dam.

 

Speaking to reporters at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, Gohar said that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir have formally been informed about the discovery and have responded positively to the briefing.

 

He went on to say that divers collected soil samples from inside the dam, which were then analysed in a laboratory to determine the gold content.

 

“By extrapolating the results, the estimated total value of gold in the dam’s soil stands at $636 billion,” Gohar said, adding that it could pay off Pakistan’s national debt.

 

He said the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) must undertake the project itself, but if not, his company was ready to invest, extract the gold and hand it over to the country.

 

Gohar said his team was prepared and has already held discussions with dredging experts in Holland, as well as partners in Amsterdam and Canada. “If the government gives us the green light, we are ready to execute this project,” he said.

 

Earlier, he also talked about Air Karachi, announcing that the airline's domestic operations would commence on March 23, 2026.

 

The airline will initially have a fleet of three to five Airbus aircraft and international flights would begin after a year of successful domestic operations.