LAHORE: The National School of Public Policy (NSPP) is set to convene the fourth NSPP public conference on “Rare Earth Minerals in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges” on Aug 17-18, bringing together senior policymakers, geologists, academics, industry representatives and experts to examine how the country can turn its rare earth and critical mineral potential into a source of sustainable economic and strategic strength.
Held under the theme “Rare by Nature, Strategic by Choice”, the two-day conference will be organised by NSPP in collaboration with Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and the Balochistan Institute of Policy and Research (BIPP) at the NSPP campus Lahore.
The conference is designed to explore the governance, geological potential, geopolitics, technological requirements, environmental risks and policy challenges associated with Pakistan’s rare earth minerals (REMs), while seeking practical policy solutions for responsible extraction, value addition and sustainable development.
US Consul General Lahore Stetson Sanders and Federal Minister for Energy and Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik will attend as guests of honour. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will be the chief guest, while Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal will also participate in the opening proceedings.
With rare earth elements increasingly viewed worldwide as strategically important resources for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies, electronics, defence and other high value industries, the NSPP conference is expected to provide a broad policy platform for assessing whether Pakistan can convert its geological potential into economic opportunity while addressing environmental, social, security and governance concerns.
