Pakistan sitting on billions in mineral resources

August 8, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan is sitting atop billions worth of mineral wealth, yet only a fraction of it has been tapped.

With reserves of copper, gold, lithium, cobalt, chromite, coal, and rare earth elements spread across 600,000 square kilometers of land, the country holds some of the world’s most sought-after resources but still contributes only 1–3% to its GDP from the mineral sector.

Now, a renewed push is under way to reverse this pattern. At a gathering Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized that mineral resources worth billions are waiting to be unlocked, and that concrete steps are being taken to harness them for Pakistan’s economic stability.

The country is intensifying efforts to tap into its vast mineral reserves long known but chronically underexploited with a combination of local reforms, international partnerships, and unprecedented civil-military consensus.

Estimated value of Pakistan’s mineral wealth is around $8 trillion, according to a recent briefing to the federal cabinet. Spread over 600,000 square kilometers, the country is home to 92 identified minerals, of which 52 are being commercially extracted.

These include globally strategic materials such as copper, gold, lithium, cobalt, chromite, and rare earth elements, along with extensive reserves of marble, granite, coal, and gypsum.

Yet despite this treasure trove, the mineral sector contributes a meager 1–3% to Pakistan’s GDP, with its global export share lingering around 0.1%.

More than 5,000 operational mines support over 300,000 jobs and 50,000 industries, but inefficiencies, outdated technology, and poor infrastructure have capped its true potential.

The Turning Point: SIFC and a Unified Push

A significant shift came earlier this year with the hosting of the Pakistan Minerals Summit under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) a joint civil-military initiative aimed at fast-tracking investment in strategic sectors.

Addressed by Prime Minister Shehbaz, the summit brought in investors from Saudi Arabia, China, Canada, Turkey, the US, and the UK.

Key agreements were signed between OGDCL, Mari Minerals, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), and the Balochistan government, launching the Pakistan Mineral Security Partnership (Pak-MSP).

The unified stance, blending governance and military oversight, sent a strong signal to global investors that Pakistan is open for serious mineral business.

At the heart of this drive is the Reko Diq copper-gold project one of the largest untapped reserves of its kind globally.

 It is set to commence production in 2028 with an initial ore processing capacity of 45 million tonnes per annum, followed by an expansion to 90mn tonnes per annum from 2034 onwards, according to the Technical Report on the Reko Diq Project issued by Barrick Gold Corporation.

With global demand for lithium, copper, and rare earths surging due to green energy and digital infrastructure needs, Pakistan has a golden window to rise as a mineral-exporting power.

The question is no longer whether the resources exist, but whether the nation can marshal the technology, investment, and political will to extract them.

If successful, this mineral revolution could mark Pakistan’s long-awaited economic transformation shifting the country from dependency to self-reliance, and from crisis management to wealth creation.

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