ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar to promote research and development in marble and granite mining and reverse engineering of mining machinery.

On behalf of PASDEC, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Zahid Maqsood Sheikh signed the MoU while UET was represented by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain. The MoU entails collaboration for the development of marble and granite sector of Pakistan in improving existing industry practices while providing platform for research and development support using the academia’s facilities.

Under the agreement, the university will take part in the projects indicated by PASDEC to carry out R&D to improve the orthodox process in marble and granite sector and to share expertise to develop quarrying techniques using the university’s facilities and provide PASDEC with a useful solution/way out which may help in reshaping the current industry practices in the fields of, but not limited to, modern quarrying methods, waste management, development of industrial estates, machinery pools, warehouses and other projects.

Sheikh said that signing of the memorandum would enable the two organizations to deepen their cooperation in the area of research and development to improve the orthodox processes in marble and granite sector and to share expertise to develop quarrying techniques. The two organizations will also focus on reverse engineering so that mining machines could be manufactured locally and would also be available on compatible prices.