Islamabad : Mushahid Hussain Syed in his speech highlighted the issue of licensing and the legal difficulties faced by mining companies in Pakistan. He also stressed that accurate empirical data about mineral wealth in Pakistan should be there to help the mining sector. He suggested that mineral experts and institutions be given the license to mine and extract mineral resources.
Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) in collaboration with the Investment Department of Sindh organized a seminar on “Exploring Pakistan’s Mineral Wealth: Navigating Global Dynamics to Monetize Pakistan’s Untapped Mineral Wealth,”.
The seminar first session was “Unlocking Potential: Assessing Pakistan’s Mineral Reserves,” and the topic of the second session was “Building Strategic Partnerships: Identifying Opportunities for Collaboration with International Partners.” The event was generously sponsored by Pathfinder Group of Companies.
Commodore Sadeed A. Malik, a Member Board of Governors of KCFR, in his opening remarks, thanked the Chief Guest, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, delegates from different Embassies and other participants for attending the seminar, on behalf of Chairperson KCFR Ms. Nadira Panjwani. He also thanked Pathfinder Group and Sindh Investment Department for making this event possible.
The first session was moderated by Ms. Saira Ijaz, Managing Editor at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (SSI). Dr. Sajjad Ahmed, Director General of the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) was the keynote speaker of the first session. Other panelists were; Mr. Shamsuddin A. Shaikh, Chairman of Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC), Dr. Syed Akhtar Hussain Shah, Former Member and Joint Secretary Implementation Planning Commission of Pakistan and Dr. Abbass Ali Naseem, Associate Professor Department of Earth Sciences (QAU).
Dr. Sajjad Ahmed talked about the mineral resource wealth in different regions of Pakistan highlighting the importance of minerals like copper, lithium, polonium, and other rare earth minerals. He also highlighted the efforts of GSP regarding Pakistan’s mineral wealth. ; Mr. Shamsuddin A. Shaikh talked about the mining sector and highlighted the efforts of PMDC regarding mining. He also talked about the lack of investments in the mineral and mining sector of Pakistan despite the country having an abundance of minerals. He stressed the need for investments in the mining and mineral sector.
Dr. Syed Akhtar Hussain Shah discussed the current deficiencies in the suboptimal exploitation of mineral resources across various sectors, including the government and the private sector. He also addressed strategies aimed at enhancing productivity and the overall contribution of the mineral sector. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of ensuring that mineral sector policies and practices align with international climate change policies.
The second session was moderated by Dr. Abbass Ali Naseem. Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed was the keynote speaker of the second session in addition to being the Chief Guest of the seminar. Other panellists were: Dr. Brig Raashid Wali Janjua Director of Research at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Dr. Afsah Qazi, Assistant Professor Department of Strategic Studies, Air University, Islamabad and Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz.
The chief guest, Mushahid Hussain Sayed said, “Pakistan’s potential is blocked by the absence of policy, stressing that the government should make feasible and implementable policies regarding the mining and mineral sector.”
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed then related the security situation in Pakistan to the development of the mineral sector and the minimal foreign investment regarding the extraction of these minerals. He said that by being a safe and secure state, Pakistan can attract foreign investment in the mining and mineral sector and the government has to work on it and make policies accordingly. He appreciated Pathfinder Group and Ikram Sehgal for their initiative to support such events, which is a need of the time. Private and public partnerships can play a significant role in development. He also shed light on the role of the Investment Department of Sindh and their contributions.
Ambassador Nadeem Riaz talked about diplomacy in the mining sector and exploiting Pakistan’s mineral resources. He highlighted the regional challenges, international environmental standards, technological advancements and legal challenges faced by the mineral sector of Pakistan. He also talked about the importance of exploring mineral wealth and its relation to mineral diplomacy with other regional and international countries. He suggested conflict prevention and resolution, international agreements regarding minerals and mining, infrastructure and regulatory development and environment protection as the way forward for Pakistan’s mineral sector growth.
Dr. Brig Raashid Wali Janjua highlighted the internal and external security challenges facing Pakistan, alongside discussing the prospects and potential of the mineral sector, as well as the way forward. He emphasized the imperative of ensuring internal stability as a prerequisite for attracting foreign investment in the mineral sector.
Dr. Afzah Qazi emphasized the crucial role of strategic partnerships for Pakistan’s untapped mineral potential, which is influenced by political elite preferences. She also highlighted the importance of shifting from exporting raw resources to value-added goods for economic prosperity. Moreover, she stressed that collaboration with international partners must prioritize capacity building and value addition to succeed in the global mineral market.