Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow on Tuesday called Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 (PMIF25) "start of something new and special for the Pakistan people".
Speaking to 24NewsHD TV, Bristow said, “I think it was a very good event and start of something new and special for the Pakistani people.”
When asked to comment on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to investors to come and join his government’s efforts to develop the mines and mineral sector of Pakistan, Bristow said, “That’s what we need; we need to attract investors to the energy market. The prime minister said he is the leader of this partnership and we look forward to being a strong and reliable partners to the people of Pakistan."
When asked if other investors would follow their example and come to Pakistan, the Barrick Gold chief said, "We hope that people will follow our example and join us in developing the Pakistan endowment."
The two-day PMIF25 is taking place in the federal capital Islamabad with an estimated 2,000 people in attendance in an effort to exhibit the nation's enormous mineral potential. At the event from April 8 to 9, the government would present Pakistan's mineral-rich terrain, which covers around 600,000 square kilometres.
Around 300 representatives from overseas are attending the event. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, China, the US State Department, the US Exim Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and CEOs of mining companies from Denmark, Kenya, Finland, and the UK are among the participants. It is expected that a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be inked at the forum.
Despite its vast potential, the mineral sector currently contributes only 3.2% to Pakistan’s GDP, with exports accounting for a mere 0.1% of the global total. However, with increased exploration, foreign investment and infrastructural development, the industry is poised for significant growth.
A key highlight of the forum will be the official launch of the National Minerals Harmonisation Framework 2025 by the federal government, aimed at attracting investment in the mineral sector.
The United States would be represented by Eric Meyer, Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, to advance US interests in the mineral sector.
Reporter: Awais Kiyani