Pakistan to join US-led global initiative on critical minerals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is positioning itself as a key player in the global energy transition and is set to take center stage at the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Feb. 4.

According to a State Department statement, the United States will welcome delegations from over 50 nations to advance collective efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains.

This historic gathering will create momentum for collaboration to secure these critical components vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security, the statement said.

Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik is leading the Pakistani delegation to the Department of State, following an intensive diplomatic effort to pitch Pakistan’s vast, underexploited mineral wealth as a strategic alternative for global supply chains.

The US has placed a renewed emphasis on Pakistan’s mineral potential, particularly its reserves of copper, gold, and lithium, as part of a broader strategy to diversify supply lines away from adversarial dominance. This burgeoning partnership was solidified late last year by a $500 million MoU with a US-backed metals firm to develop refining capabilities in Pakistan.

Pakistan is home to immense, largely untapped geological wealth, with mineral reserves estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. The country's diverse landscape contains over 90 identified minerals, including the world’s second-largest salt mines, fifth-largest copper and gold deposits -- most notably the Reko Diq project -- and massive lignite coal reserves in Thar.

Pakistan is emerging as a potential supplier of critical "future minerals" such as lithium, antimony, and rare earth elements, which are essential for the global transition to green energy and high-tech manufacturing.

To make these resources available to the global market, the government has launched the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a "one-stop shop" designed to fast-track approvals and provide a secure environment for foreign investors.