LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Monday stressed the need for an integrated national policy for the development of Pakistan’s mineral resources, saying the country could turn its vast natural wealth into long term economic value by linking it with modern technology, research, investment and industrial development.
Addressing the opening session of the two day Fourth Public Policy Conference on “Rare Earth Minerals in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges”, organised by the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) in collaboration with Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and the Burki Institute of Public Policy and Research (BIPPR), the minister said rare earth minerals had acquired extraordinary strategic importance in the changing global environment.
He said such minerals were fundamental to modern electronics, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, electric vehicles, defence technology and other advanced industries, making it imperative for Pakistan to develop its mineral sector beyond the extraction and export of raw materials.
“We need to focus on the processing, refining and value addition of our mineral reserves,” he said, emphasising that Pakistan would derive genuine economic benefits from its mineral resources only by producing value added products.
The minister said the government was undertaking a range of measures to reform the mineral sector, modernise geological surveys, improve research and data systems, facilitate investment and promote local processing.
He said the policy and regulatory environment for mineral exploration and investment was also being improved. Through the Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority (MIFA), issues concerning investment promotion, royalties and licensing were being reviewed to create a more favourable environment for investors.
According to him, the government’s priority was to connect mineral resources with domestic industry to create employment, reduce dependence on imports and increase exports.
He said Pakistan could emerge as an important player in the changing global supply chain for critical minerals if it adopted a coordinated approach involving the federal and provincial governments, universities, research institutions and the private sector.
“Pakistan possesses natural capital in the form of mineral resources. What is required is to transform this natural wealth into economic value through modern knowledge, research, technology and better governance,” he said.
The minister said practical measures were also being taken for the research and processing of rare earth and critical minerals. Through the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), a project for exploration of precious metals and critical minerals in Gilgit-Baltistan, along with the establishment of a modern mineral testing laboratory and advanced analytical and processing facilities in Skardu, reflected the government’s efforts in the field.
He also referred to projects such as the Geo-Resource Survey in Balochistan, aimed at scientifically identifying mineral resources, saying such initiatives would help identify important mineral zones, interpret geological information and provide reliable data to potential investors.
He said reforms aimed at attracting investment had been accelerated with the objective of making Pakistan an attractive destination for responsible and sustainable mineral investment.
Ahsan Iqbal also linked the mineral strategy with the country’s broader economic ambitions, saying Pakistan had given a “crushing response” to the enemy in Marka-e-Haq and it was now time to demonstrate its capabilities in the economic and development arenas.
He said that when the present government came to power in 2022, Pakistan was on the brink of default, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the economy had been put back on the right track.
Under the Uraan Pakistan initiative, he said, the country was aiming to become a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035, adding that every citizen would have to contribute to achieving the national objective.
Earlier, Rector of the National School of Public Policy Lahore Farhan Aziz Khawaja highlighted the purpose of the conference, saying rare earth elements were critically important for high-tech industries, green energy solutions and advanced technologies.
He said global demand for these minerals had increased significantly while Pakistan’s considerable geological potential remained largely unexplored. The Fourth Public Policy Conference had therefore been organised to bring policymakers, industrial leaders and researchers together to deliberate on a subject of growing national and international importance.
The conference seeks to examine strategic cooperation for mineral exploration, global market trends, environmental concerns, sustainable extraction, value addition and effective policymaking.
Dr Naveed Elahi, Dean of the National Institute of Public Policy, in his introductory remarks, said rare earth minerals had assumed immense importance in contemporary global politics and their growing strategic significance made it essential to bring policymakers and experts together.
He said the National School of Public Policy was one of Pakistan’s premier institutions and had been mandated to provide three-tier training to civil servants. The NSPP also contributed to public policy through research on contemporary issues concerning the economy, governance, policymaking and law and order.
The institution, he added, designed and conducted training programmes and worked to enhance the professional capabilities of serving officers so they could deliver public services more effectively.
The National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP), he said, was an integral component and the research arm of the NSPP. A large number of geologists, academics, industrialists, researchers and other experts attended the conference.
Three sessions were held on the first day.The first session, titled “Governance of Rare Earth Minerals in Pakistan”, featured UNDP Acting Resident Representative Van Nguyen and former Dean of PASC Lahore Dr Shujat Ali as keynote speakers. Deputy Director GSP Dr Shahbaz Muhammad, Dr Asghar Ali, Dr Saif-ur-Rehman and Dr Yamina Salman participated as discussants. The second session, “Harnessing Advanced Technologies for Rare Earth Minerals: Policy and Strategic Framework”, featured Director General Geological Survey of Pakistan Adnan Alam Awan and former DG of the National Institute of Public Administration, Quetta, Meraj Arif, as keynote speakers.
Professor Dr Muhammad Hassan, Dr Mumtaz Muhammad Shah, Professor Dr Muhammad Basharat, Dr Sajjad Ahmad, Dr Muhammad Ishaq Kakar and Professor Dr Shahid Ghazi formed part of the panel. The session focused on advanced technologies, policy options and strategic frameworks for the exploration and utilisation of rare earth minerals.
The third session, “Geological Prospects of Rare Earth Minerals in Pakistan”, featured Dr Saleem H. Ali, Professor of Energy at the University of Delaware, United States, and Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Director BCPR, BNU Lahore, as keynote speakers.
