Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum Ends with 13 Agreements, PM Urges End to Raw Exports

ISLAMABAD: The two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 concluded in the federal capital on Friday. Foreign investors were invited to invest in the country’s mineral resources and assured of protection and government support.

On the final day, more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries were present.

The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) said an estimated 350 million tonnes of copper had been identified at Dasht-e-Kein in Chagai district, Balochistan. This estimate is based on roughly half of the drilling data analysed so far. Mari Minerals announced the discovery of its first gold and copper deposits in Balochistan. According to National Resources Limited, after about 25,000 metres of drilling, copper and gold mineralisation has been found at at least eight porphyry sites in Chagai, and the company has pledged an investment of $100 million.

Thirteen agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between Pakistani and international companies at the forum. They cover geological cooperation, the development of mining projects, the establishment of a modern commercial mineral laboratory, mineral exploration, airborne geophysical surveys, and advanced technologies such as ambient noise tomography.

Ahmed Hayat Lak, president of the forum and chairman of OGDCL, said in his closing remarks that the forum had featured 13 technical sessions, panels and roundtables, as well as eight strategic discussions. He added that the National Minerals Database and Data Centre Portal and the GSP Geo Portal had been launched, which would improve access to geological information.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the forum that the practice of exporting raw minerals abroad should be ended permanently. He urged investors to extract, process and manufacture products within Pakistan. According to him, the Reko Diq and Tethyan Copper Belt projects should lead to the establishment of refineries, cement plants, and cable and conductor industries.

The prime minister said production at Reko Diq is expected to begin in 2028, after the project had stalled for nearly two decades. He stressed technology transfer, technical training and local suppliers, and assured investors of simplified procedures, an end to red tape and transparent policies. He also said that, according to a Goldman Sachs projection, Pakistan could become the world’s sixth-largest economy by 2075 and would join the ranks of major economies before 2050.