ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has invited international investors to explore Pakistan’s vast mineral potential, saying the country offers a competitive and trusted destination for mineral exploration and investment.
Addressing an international minerals forum, Ishaq Dar said mineral development had been elevated to a strategic national economic priority, reflecting the government’s commitment to unlocking the country’s untapped natural resources and transforming them into a driver of economic growth.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of a productive, export-oriented and investment-driven economy focused on unlocking Pakistan’s untapped potential, strengthening industrial capacity and mobilising domestic and international investment.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the National Minerals Policy provided an important foundation for coordinated development of the sector, adding that the government’s objective was to establish a sustainable and investor-friendly framework for mineral exploration and development.
He described Balochistan as central to Pakistan’s mineral future and said the government was committed to ensuring that exploitation of its natural resources contributed meaningfully to the provincial economy and improved the wellbeing of local communities.
He added that the country’s mineral potential extended beyond Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the mineral-rich northern regions, while Punjab and Sindh also offered significant opportunities for exploration and investment.
Dar emphasised that local communities must be active participants in mineral development and beneficiaries of the economic opportunities generated by these projects. Their livelihoods, traditions and cultural heritage, he said, would be fully respected.
He stressed that Pakistan’s objective was not limited to extracting minerals and exporting them in raw form. Instead, the government wanted to progressively develop domestic capacity for mineral processing, refining and value-added manufacturing to maximise economic returns.
Highlighting the macroeconomic stability achieved over the past two years, Dar said development of mineral resources was integral to the next phase of Pakistan’s economic transformation. It would help diversify exports, strengthen the industrial base, attract long-term investment and create employment and business opportunities.
He noted that participation of representatives from more than 60 countries in the forum reflected growing international interest in Pakistan’s mineral potential and confidence in its commitment to developing long-term partnerships.
The participation also demonstrated Pakistan’s ambition to become an active player in the global transformation taking place in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlighted the mineral potential of their respective regions and the facilitation measures being offered to attract investment.
AJK Prime Minister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani invited international investors to explore the territory’s potential in various minerals, assuring them of opportunities in the sector.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Azar said the regional government had put in place the necessary institutional mechanism to facilitate investment in mineral exploration.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the provincial government had raised another security division for the mineral corridor to provide a secure environment to investors.
He expressed confidence that the Reko Diq project would become operational by 2029, describing it as a major development opportunity for the province and the country.
Bugti further claimed that the Sarona area of Balochistan possessed oil and gas reserves exceeding those of Sui. He said the provincial government was also planning to establish a fertiliser city in Sui to promote industrial development and value addition.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi said a Mines and Minerals Company would soon become operational in the province, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a land of opportunities. He assured potential investors of complete security and government facilitation.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said his province had identified 27 minerals and developed a robust framework for mining activities.
He also highlighted the importance of Thar coal and the electricity being generated from the coal reserves, saying the resource had emerged as an important component of Pakistan’s energy sector.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said revenue generated by the provincial Mines and Minerals Department had increased to Rs40 billion over the past two and a half years, reflecting improved performance and the government’s efforts to develop the sector.
She said placer gold deposits had been identified in the rivers of Punjab and surveys and studies were underway to determine the actual quantity of gold available.
She also disclosed that Chiniot had an estimated 261.5 million tonnes of iron ore, which could be converted into processed steel through the development of domestic processing facilities.
Maryam Nawaz further highlighted the economic potential of pink salt, saying its value addition had helped generate higher revenues for the province.
The provincial leaders collectively projected their respective regions as attractive destinations for mineral exploration, mining, processing and related industrial investments, underscoring the government’s broader ambition to turn Pakistan’s mineral wealth into a major source of export earnings, industrial growth and economic diversification.
