ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Friday said the government was committed to ensuring security and safety at mine sites, along logistics routes and, above all, for trained human resources to support uninterrupted mining operations in a conducive environment.
Addressing the two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 (PMIF26), he said special arrangements had been made to strengthen the security framework for mining operations.
He said the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was investing in improving geological data through the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP), recognising that investors could not accurately assess project risks without reliable scientific information.
He said more than 40 mineral exploration licences had recently been granted in the Chagai and Khuzdar districts of Balochistan alone, reflecting growing private sector participation in strategic and critical minerals.
The minister said the government was developing road connectivity between Chagai’s mineral-rich belt and Gwadar Port, as well as linking Thar coal resources with power plants, to facilitate transportation and connect Pakistan’s mineral resources with international markets.
He said Pakistan had traditionally exported raw ore and concentrates while importing finished products to meet domestic requirements. The government was now advancing copper smelting to capture greater value across the supply chain, from mining to finished metal.
He said the government was also strengthening the scientific foundation of the mineral sector through accelerated geological mapping, including detailed surveys at a scale of 1:50,000, to identify mineral prospects across the country.
He said exploration efforts were increasingly focusing on minerals of strategic importance to global investors, including copper and gold in Chagai and western Balochistan, lithium, tin and tungsten in Gilgit-Baltistan, and antimony and base metals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The minister said these efforts were being complemented by modern geochemical and geophysical surveys, exploratory drilling and the upgrading of advanced geoscience research laboratories with sophisticated analytical technologies.
He said international technical cooperation, including the UK-Pakistan Geoscience Capacity Building Programme, was helping strengthen expertise in digital mapping, airborne surveys and mineral assessment.
The government was also digitising decades of geological information to provide investors with better access to reliable data, reduce exploration uncertainty and support informed investment decisions, he added.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said discovering a mineral deposit was only the beginning, as commercially viable mining projects required power, water, roads, railways and access to international markets.
He said infrastructure development was therefore being aligned with the country’s mineral sector ambitions.
He identified the planned upgradation of the Rohri-Nokundi Railway Corridor, connectivity to Port Qasim and supporting infrastructure around Reko Diq as important steps towards connecting mineral-rich regions with global markets.
“Our objective is very clear: to build not just individual mines, but an integrated, competitive and sustainable mineral industry,” he said.
The minister said the government wanted investment, wherever commercially and technically viable, to support processing, refining, downstream industries, technology transfer and integration into global value chains.
He said the sector should also strengthen Pakistani capabilities through technical skills, vocational training, engineering services, a stronger supplier base and career opportunities for young people, including women entering the sector.
He stressed that the development of the mineral industry must also benefit communities in producing regions through improved livelihoods, skills, services and local opportunities.
He said environmental management, safety standards and transparent community engagement were essential requirements for responsible mining.
“We expect that of every partner we work with here, and it is part of how we expect this sector to compete internationally,” he said, adding that projects earning the trust of surrounding communities were more likely to be successfully developed and sustained.
He said his team was available to facilitate investors through follow-up meetings, technical discussions, site visits and project evaluations.
He urged participants to visit the exhibition hall, attend technical sessions and raise their questions during the forum to facilitate meaningful engagement.
Addressing international investors, including Barrick, Ivanhoe and Minmetals, he said Pakistan was open to long-term mining investment and hoped to earn their confidence through practical delivery and effective follow-up after the forum.