Pakistan Minerals Forum Opens: $8 Trillion Treasure HuntPakistan

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar inaugurated the event, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to chair the concluding session on Friday. The gathering is the third edition of the forum, following earlier events in 2023 and 2025, but this year’s edition is being pitched as a shift from talk to execution, with a sharper focus on project financing, production timelines and getting Pakistani minerals into global supply chains.

What is on the table

At the heart of the discussions is a striking claim from the forum’s background material: Pakistan’s mineral resources carry an estimated potential value of between $6 trillion and $8 trillion. The showcase project held up as the model is the Reko Diq copper and gold mine in Balochistan, led by Barrick Gold, which organisers present as proof that large-scale mining can work in Pakistan.

Sessions over the two days cover exploration and new mining projects, early-stage financing, and the technology needed to process minerals at home rather than exporting raw ore. An international exhibition of mining technology and ventures is running alongside the conference, and senior figures from global mining houses, including Barrick chairman John L. Thornton and Ivanhoe Mines founder Robert Friedland, are among the headline speakers.

Forum president Ahmed Hayat Lak, who is also the managing director and chief executive of OGDCL, is leading the event, with energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie acting as the lead conference producer. Chief ministers from the provinces are also taking part in a session on turning provincial mineral potential into prosperity, a recognition that much of the country’s mineral wealth sits in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

High hopes, and a note of caution

For the government, the forum is a chance to present Pakistan as the next destination for critical minerals, at a time when the world is scrambling for copper, lithium and rare earths to power electric vehicles and clean energy. Copper, lithium, rare earths, industrial minerals and gemstones are all on the agenda, and officials hope the event will convert interest into signed deals and investment commitments.

Not everyone is cheering. The Baloch National Movement, a Baloch rights group, has raised concerns about the forum, arguing that the mineral wealth of Balochistan should first benefit the people of the province. The group described the event as an attempt to turn local resources into an international business without addressing local deprivation, a reminder that the politics of who owns and benefits from the minerals will run alongside the investment pitches.

Investors, for their part, will be watching for more than warm words. As analysts note, forums can open doors, but long-term stability, clear rules and reliable infrastructure decide whether money actually flows. Whether this week’s gathering produces concrete agreements or simply another round of promises will become clear when the concluding session wraps up on Friday.