Islamabad, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held a series of bilateral meetings with leading international mining and investment companies on the sidelines of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum (PMIF), highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to attracting foreign investment and expanding international partnerships in the minerals sector.
During the engagements, the Federal Minister held separate meetings with Mr. John Thornton, Chairman of Barrick Mining Corporation, accompanied by the company’s senior leadership; Mr. Andrew Neilson, Chief Executive of Scottish mining and engineering company Weir; Mr. Ibrahim El Gazzar, Head of Metals and Minerals (MENA) at Singapore-headquartered Trafigura, along with his delegation; and Mr. Mustafa Aksoy, Chief Executive Officer of Türkiye’s Çalık Holding. He also met with a delegation led by Mr Robert Friedland of Ivanhoe Mines.
During the meeting, Mr. Andrew Neilson expressed Weir’s interest in expanding its engagement in Pakistan’s mining sector, stating that the company was looking to participate in additional projects beyond its existing involvement in Reko Diq.
Mr. Ibrahim El Gazzar conveyed Trafigura’s keen interest in Pakistan’s Zinc-Barite project. He also expressed the company’s interest in exploring opportunities in Pakistan’s LPG, bonded storage and refinery sectors.
Mr. John Thornton remarked that it was always a pleasure to visit Pakistan, reflecting the company’s continued engagement with the country.
The Federal Minister also witnessed the signing ceremony of an agreement between mining giant Ivanhoe Mines and Mari Minerals for the exploration of copper and gold deposits in Chagai, Balochistan. Under the agreement, the two companies intend to undertake exploration activities to assess the region’s mineral potential and identify opportunities for the development of its copper-gold resources.
The Federal Minister welcomed the growing interest of international companies in Pakistan’s minerals sector and emphasized that PMIF provides an important platform to connect global investors with investment opportunities, facilitate partnerships and unlock the country’s vast mineral potential.
