Capitalising on unexplored mineral wealth

The 300 local and foreign delegates participating in a two-day mineral summit in Islamabad have renewed hopes of growing foreign interest in Pakistan’s mineral sector, which remains unexplored for want of financing and access to technology.

Addressing the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s mineral wealth, “worth trillions of dollars”, could free its economy from perpetual dependency on frequent bailouts from global lenders. Pakistan has enough deposits of critical minerals to be a big economic player in its own right, says analyst Asim Sajjad Akhtar.

The optimism is further strengthened by the government’s emphasis on exporting semi-finished an...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]