KARACHI: Pakistan has broadened its international engagement to attract foreign investment in its minerals and mining sectors, now turning to Germany after recent collaborations with the United States and France. The move comes as Islamabad seeks advanced technology, technical expertise and long-term strategic partnerships to unlock its substantial resource potential.
The latest development followed a meeting in Islamabad between Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel. Janine Rohwer, Political and Economic Counsellor at the German Embassy, also attended the session. During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities in mining, minerals and energy development.
“There is a lot of potential in Pakistan’s mining and natural resources sector,” Ambassador Lepel said, according to a statement from the Petroleum Division. She noted growing international interest and emphasised that the Reko Diq copper-gold project remains a “crucial test case” for attracting global investors. Reko Diq, located in Balochistan, is among the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits and is being developed by Barrick Gold in collaboration with Pakistani partners.
Ambassador Lepel also highlighted strong prospects for collaboration between the Geological Survey of Pakistan and Germany’s Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).
The meeting comes shortly after Pakistan and France discussed cooperation in mineral exploration, processing and value addition during a high-level webinar last week. Earlier, in September, Pakistan signed a $500 million memorandum of understanding with the United States to strengthen cooperation in the critical minerals sector. In October, Pakistan delivered its first shipment of rare earth elements — including neodymium and praseodymium — and other minerals to US Strategic Metals (USSM).
Minister Malik told the German delegation that Pakistan aims to modernise the mining industry through sustainable and mechanised practices, calling Reko Diq the “torchbearer” for responsible, large-scale mining. He said the next Pakistan Mineral Investment Forum would be expanded to attract more global investors.
The talks also covered energy cooperation. Malik highlighted Pakistan’s refinery upgrade programme, which aligns with Germany’s decarbonisation goals, and recent offshore exploration bidding — the first in nearly two decades — as steps toward energy security. Both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthening the Pakistan-Germany partnership and advancing investment-driven cooperation.
