Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlights Pakistan’s mineral potential, Reko Diq development and industrial investment plans at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed confidence that Pakistan could emerge as one of the world’s major economies before 2050, identifying the country’s vast mineral resources as a key driver of economic growth, industrialisation and foreign investment.
Addressing the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 on Friday, the prime minister said international economic projections, including one by Goldman Sachs, indicated that Pakistan could become the world’s sixth-largest economy by 2075.
Shehbaz said Pakistan was entering a new phase of economic transformation, supported by renewed investor confidence and government efforts to attract long-term investment.
Emphasising the importance of adding value to natural resources, he said Pakistan needed to move beyond exporting raw minerals and establish domestic processing, refining and manufacturing facilities.
“The day is not far when Pakistan will utilise its mineral resources for the country’s downstream industries,” he said, stressing that the objective was to develop local industries rather than simply extract minerals and export them.
Referring to the Reko Diq project, the prime minister described it as one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits. He said the project, which had remained stalled for around two decades, was now moving towards practical completion and the operational phase.
He also highlighted the establishment of the National Minerals Data Centre and the digitisation of geological records, saying these initiatives would provide investors with reliable information about Pakistan’s mineral potential.
The prime minister said federal and provincial governments would work together to strengthen the mining sector and create an environment conducive to long-term investment. He assured business representatives that the government would provide all possible support and protect investors’ interests.
He added that ensuring the security of investors, workers, assets and supply routes remained a government responsibility. Reliable electricity, water supplies and communications infrastructure were also essential for developing mineral projects.
Shehbaz stressed that cooperation with local communities was equally important, saying mining projects could not succeed without public trust and participation. He also pledged to accelerate administrative procedures and prevent unnecessary delays in processing investment-related files.
Highlighting Pakistan’s young population, he described educated, talented and determined youth as a major national asset capable of contributing to the country’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the forum, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said Pakistan was working to establish itself as a competitive destination for long-term mineral investment.
He said the government was taking all possible measures to secure the entire mining ecosystem, including mines, workers, investments, industrial facilities and related infrastructure.
Munir described mineral development as a shared national objective and emphasised the need to establish an integrated industrial value chain covering processing, refining and manufacturing.
He said Pakistan wanted to develop long-term partnerships that would generate sustainable economic benefits for the country and its international partners.
The field marshal also stressed that communities living in resource-rich areas should receive tangible benefits from mineral development projects.
He called for translating the country’s natural and human potential into practical economic achievements, emphasising a shift from raw mineral exports towards value-added industrial growth.
The forum highlighted the government’s ambition to make mineral development a major contributor to Pakistan’s economic expansion, industrialisation and foreign investment.
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