CDF Munir said all possible measures were being taken to ensure the security of the entire mining ecosystem. He said mines and miners, investments, industries, projects and all associated people would be provided adequate protection
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir said on Friday that Pakistan was aiming to become a competitive destination for long-term mineral investment.
He made the remarks while addressing the participants of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 in Islamabad, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Delegations, exhibitors and attendees have arrived from across the world to attend the event.
As the two-day event opened on Thursday, Pakistan showcased its vast mineral resources, ranging from coal and salt to gold and critical minerals, to attract international investment, promising predictable, investor-friendly policies, institutional support and security.
On Friday, CDF Munir said all possible measures were being taken to ensure the security of the entire mining ecosystem. He said mines and miners, investments, industries, projects and all associated people would be provided adequate protection.
He added that harnessing Pakistan’s mineral wealth was a collective national objective. He also emphasised that the country’s goal was not merely to export raw materials but to develop the entire value chain, including refining and manufacturing, it added.
CDF Munir also said that Pakistan sought to foster long-term partnerships that created sustainable economic value for the country and its partners.
“He stressed that mineral development must benefit local communities, adding that people living in mineral-rich areas should witness tangible improvements in their lives,” the report said. He also emphasised that Pakistan must move from potential to productivity, from promises to action and from raw exports to value-added growth.
Addressing the same event, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that Pakistan could become the world’s sixth-largest economy “earlier than 2050”.
In his remarks, he recalled a Goldman Sachs assessment, which had projected Pakistan to become the sixth-largest economy in the world by 2075 and said: “I would like to make a small amendment here — instead of 2075, it will be earlier than 2050.”
‘Mineral exploration increasingly focused on strategic resources’
Earlier in the day, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik addressed the forum and stated that Pakistan’s exploration efforts were increasingly focused on minerals that were of strategic importance to global investors.
In continuation of the pitch, Malik told the investors that Pakistan’s exploration efforts were being complemented with “modern geochemical and geophysical surveys, exploratory drilling, and upgrading of our geoscience advanced research laboratories with sophisticated analytical technologies”.
