BRI delegation eyes mineral investment

Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh met a delegation of Silkway Impex Pvt Ltd and a high-level Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) delegation to discuss investment cooperation, with minerals emerging as the priority focus of the talks.

According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the meeting included Deng Yubin, Head of the BRI for Yunnan Province. Sheikh highlighted Pakistan's mineral and mining potential, describing the sector as a key area for bilateral cooperation.

Referring to the recently held Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum, he said Pakistan aimed to develop integrated mineral value chains covering exploration, processing, beneficiation and downstream industrial activity. He noted that copper and other strategic minerals offered significant scope for long-term collaboration. The Chinese delegation expressed interest in mineral development and conveyed their intention to explore sustained investment opportunities aligned with Pakistan's industrial and economic objectives.

Additional Secretary BoI Dr Erfa Iqbal highlighted Pakistan's incentive framework, including Special Technology Zones for research-based industries and SEZs for manufacturing.

Silkway Impex Managing Directors Raja Taimur Rehman, Selman Pataudi and Raja Hashim Rehman outlined the company's role in connecting international partners with Pakistan's public and private sectors. Professor Haitao Yuan, Chief Geologist of Silkway Impex, shared a long-term vision for mineral sector development, including establishing an internationally stock-listed mining company, stressing transparency, modern exploration methods and international compliance.