PM Khan chairs security meeting at headquarter of Pakistan’s premier spy agency

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chairs special meeting of recently established National Intelligence Coordination Committee at Inter Services Intelligence Secretariat (ISI) in Islamabad on June 23, 2021. (Photo courtesy: @PakPMO/Twitter)
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Updated 23 June 2021
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PM Khan chairs security meeting at headquarter of Pakistan’s premier spy agency

  • The meeting of the newly established National Intelligence Coordination Committee was arranged to ensure greater harmony among various intelligence agencies
  • The event was also attended by senior members of the federal cabinet and other high-profile officials

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday visited the headquarters of Pakistan’s premier Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency to chair a special meeting of the newly established National Intelligence Coordination Committee, the PM Office said in a statement.
ISI Director General Faiz Hamid welcomed the prime minister and senior members of the federal cabinet at the agency’s head office in Islamabad.
The National Intelligence Coordination Committee is “a platform for intelligence coordination and cooperation for unified and wholesome national intelligence assessment,” said the official statement released by the PM Office.
It added that the body was notified earlier this year on January 22.
“A comprehensive briefing followed by discussion on enhanced intelligence cooperation was held,” the statement continued, saying that the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the performance of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, and heads of services’ intelligence agencies, Intelligence Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency attended the meeting.
PM Khan has been regularly visiting the ISI headquarters since assuming the country's top political office in 2018.
He also received a briefing on regional and national security issues during a visit to the ISI headquarter on May 24 along with other civil and military leaders of the country.
 


Pakistan increases Reko Diq investment to $244 million as Barrick reviews project

Updated 19 February 2026
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Pakistan increases Reko Diq investment to $244 million as Barrick reviews project

  • State-owned PPL injects $50.2 million more in special purpose vehicle formed to manage Islamabad’s 25 percent stake in copper-gold mine
  • Canadian operator Barrick Mining Corporation this month ordered project’s review following deadly separatist attacks in Balochistan province

KARACHI: The state-run Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has invested an additional Rs14 billion ($50.2 million) equity in the multi-billion-dollar Reko Diq copper-gold mine, the company said in its latest financial report on Thursday, as the project’s Canadian operator reviews the project following recently deadly attacks. 

Canada’s Barrick Mining Corporation owns a 50 percent share in Reko Diq in the southwestern Balochistan province, along with three Pakistani federal state-owned enterprises including PPL that own 25 percent, while the Balochistan government has the remaining 25 percent share in the project.

The Canadian company announced earlier this month it planned to “immediately” begin a comprehensive review of all aspects of the Reko Diq project following coordinated attacks in Balochistan on Jan. 30-31 that killed 36 civilians and 22 security forces personnel. 

“With respect to the Reko Diq project, the company has made further equity investment in Pakistan Minerals Private Limited (PMPL) during the period amounting to Rs14,025 million ($50.2m),” PPL told its shareholders in its financial statement for the half year ending at Dec. 31.

The additional equity has increased PPL’s total cost of investment in the PMPL to Rs68.1 billion ($243.6 million), it added. 

The PMPL is a special purpose vehicle formed to manage the federal government’s 25 percent stake in the Reko Diq project. It is a consortium of three state-owned enterprises (SOEs) namely the PPL, the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) which is responsible for handling financing, equity contributions and strategic, legal or technical dealings with partners like Barrick.

“The project continued to advance site works during the period (July-December FY26),” the PPL said. “The operator (Barrick) is undertaking a review of all aspects of the project, including with respect to the project’s security arrangements, development timetable and capital budget.” 

This week, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti assured investors that Pakistan has the “capacity and capability” to secure the Reko Diq project amid surging militancy. 

The PPL explores, drills, and produces oil and natural gas. Its current portfolio, together with its subsidiaries and associates, consists of 47 exploratory blocks that include one offshore Block-5 in Abu Dhabi and one onshore block in Yemen.

In December, PPL signed a strategic Deed of Assignment under which it assigned 25 percent of its participating interest (PI) and operatorship of Eastern Offshore Indus C block to Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company, a unit of state-owned Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı.

Assigning 20 percent PI each to OGDCL and Mari Energies Limited, the company has retained the remaining 35 percent PI to play a key role in the block’s development.