Reports have appeared in newspapers a few days back about a treasure estimated to be worth a trillion dollars that is lying unearthed under the geological crust of Afghanistan. Time to start a discussion about reasons and motives of USA in launching the war on terror and about the mysterious 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. Reports say the unearthed treasure of Afghanistan includes gold, copper, Lithium and several other strategic and precious minerals. Quite obviously, the US would be taking away all these minerals after exploration from Kabul to Washington in lieu of the cost incurred to the US-led international coalition in war on terror which, after all, rescued the country at the express request of the United Nations. It is rather strange that due notice has not been taken of these reports in the official and public circles of Pakistan. It is a well-established fact that the Afghan-adjoining Pakhtoonkhwah and tribal areas of Pakistan as well as our Balochistan province are just as minerals rich. Tragically, even after six decades of our independence, much of these minerals have not been explored, exploited or developed they could usher in an era of progress, prosperity and development in the country. Some time back, the US had scanned the mountainous terrain of Pakhtoonkhwah and Balochistan, ostensibly in search of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar. Some people think that may have been for ascertaining presence of minerals hidden beneath the surface here. May be under the cover of this war on terror, they are sweeping the area, forcing the entire local population to evacuate by killing more and more people through drones attacks supposedly being made on militants and extremists? -ZOHAIB AHMAD QURESHI, Lahore, June 18