ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik assured global mining firms on Friday that Islamabad is committed to providing enhanced security for mines, logistics and human resources, stressing that Islamabad is open for long-term mining investment. 

Pakistan has several deposits of gold, coal, copper, iron ore, rare earth metals and gemstones spread across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, Sindh and other areas of the country. However, separatist militants in Balochistan have often targeted workers at coal mines and Chinese projects in the province. 

Pakistan’s alarming security situation has startled global mining firms, including Barrick Mining Corporation, which announced in April it would slow down development of the Reko Diq copper-gold mine. 

“The government is committed to providing security and safety for the mine sites, logistics, and above all, trained human resources,” Malik told participants of the ongoing two-day Minerals Investment Forum 2026 in Islamabad.

Pakistan kicked off the summit in Islamabad on Thursday, bringing together government officials, foreign investors and industry leaders as it seeks to unlock the economic potential of its underdeveloped mineral resources. 

“Special arrangements have been made to augment security framework for uninterrupted operations of mines in a conducive environment,” the minister added. 

Pakistan has sought to bolster security, especially in its southwestern Balochistan province, to guard its mineral wealth. A Balochistan government official told Arab News in February that authorities have decided to raise a dedicated paramilitary force for its mineral-rich areas and to secure the country’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan. 

Malik spoke about the need to build infrastructure in Pakistan, noting that commercially viable mines also require power, water, roads, railways and access to global markets. 

“That is why infrastructure development is aligned with our mineral ambitions,” the minister said. 

“To Barrick, to Ivanhoe, to Minmetals, and to every serious investor and partner in this room, Pakistan is open for long-term mining investment,” he added. 

Pakistan seeks to attract international investment in its mines and minerals sector through the conference. 

Canada-based Ivanhoe Atlantic’s chairman announced on Thursday that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan’s Mari Energies petroleum company.

Robert Friedland, the chairman of the company, said Ivanhoe Atlantic is in the early stages of setting up a local office in Pakistan, adding that it will sign another MoU on Friday.