Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 Opens Today in Islamabad
Latest: Day 2 — PM Shehbaz: Pakistan Can Become World’s Sixth-Largest Economy Before 2050 Updated: 14 November 2026. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 on Friday that Pakistan can become the world’s sixth-largest economy ‘earlier than 2050’. He was recalling a Goldman Sachs assessment that projected sixth place by 2075,…
Latest: Day 2 — PM Shehbaz: Pakistan Can Become World’s Sixth-Largest Economy Before 2050
Updated: 14 November 2026. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 on Friday that Pakistan can become the world’s sixth-largest economy ‘earlier than 2050’. He was recalling a Goldman Sachs assessment that projected sixth place by 2075, and offered his own revision: ‘I would like to make a small amendment here — instead of 2075, it will be earlier than 2050.’ He said Reko Diq production is expected to begin in 2028 after stalling for about two decades, and renewed his pledge to end the export of minerals in raw form, saying refineries, smelters and cable and conductor factories should be built for every project connected with Reko Diq and the Tethyan copper belt so Pakistan mines, processes and manufactures at home. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir told the forum Pakistan was aiming to become a competitive destination for long-term mineral investment, and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik promised clear fiscal terms for investors. The forum heard Pakistan has 92 known minerals, 52 commercially exploited, with estimated reserves worth around $8 trillion, while mining contributes less than 3 percent of GDP. Barrick Mining owns 50 percent of Reko Diq, the Balochistan government 25 percent, and three federal state companies 25 percent, with Barrick’s feasibility study putting the investment at $8.83 billion over a 37-year mine life.
Forum Concludes: 13 Deals Signed, 350 Million Tonnes of Copper Found in Chagai
The two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 (PMIF26) concluded in Islamabad on Friday 13 November 2026 with 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding signed, and with major new mineral finds announced in Chagai, Balochistan.
| Forum conclusion | Figure / detail |
|---|---|
| Agreements and MoUs signed | 13 |
| Copper estimated in Dasht-e-Kain, Chagai | 350 million tonnes (emerging geological estimate) |
| Mari Minerals’ potential copper and gold resource | Around 1 billion tonnes |
| NRL porphyry discoveries in Chagai | At least eight, after drilling nearly 25,000 metres |
| NRL investment commitment | $100 million |
| Forum participation | 10,000+ participants from 60+ countries; 122 exhibitors |
| Next forum | November 2027 |
The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) announced an estimated 350 million tonnes of copper in the Dasht-e-Kain area of Chagai, based on roughly half of its drilling data analysed so far. The figure is an emerging geological estimate, not a formally established commercial reserve, and FWO is the only company working on the exploration, with no joint-venture partner.
Mari Minerals announced its first-ever gold and copper discovery in Chagai, citing a potential resource of around 1 billion tonnes of copper and gold. National Resources Limited (NRL) reported copper and gold mineralisation across at least eight porphyry discoveries in Chagai after drilling nearly 25,000 metres, and announced a $100 million investment commitment.
The forum drew more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries and 122 exhibitors. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir attended and assured investors of security and investment protection, urging domestic processing and refining instead of raw-mineral exports. The Prime Minister and the Field Marshal inaugurated the National Minerals Data Centre and the GSP GeoPortal.
Key deals included an MoU between FWO and Ivanhoe Mines; a joint venture between Lidiya Mining of Turkiye and Mari Minerals; a strategic framework between MTA International Company (MTAIC) of Turkiye and Mari Minerals; and a joint venture between MTAIC and the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation for antimony, copper, gold, silver and molybdenum in Pishin. The next edition of the forum is scheduled for November 2027.
