The world is entering a new economic era where critical minerals are becoming as strategically important as oil was in the twentieth century. Rare earth elements, copper, lithium, and other strategic resources now power electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, advanced electronics, artificial intelligence technologies, and modern defense industries. As nations compete to secure reliable mineral supply chains, resource-rich countries are gaining renewed strategic importance.

Pakistan stands at a defining moment in this changing landscape. Beneath its land lies vast mineral wealth that could reshape its economic future and strengthen its position in regional and global markets. However, Pakistan’s mineral story is not only about resources beneath the ground; it is also about geography, connectivity, and security.

This is where the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) assumes strategic importance.

CPEC is often viewed primarily as an infrastructure and connectivity project linking Gwadar Port with China’s Xinjiang region through roads, energy projects, and industrial cooperation. However, its deeper significance lies in its potential to connect Pakistan’s resource-rich regions with international markets and integrate the country into emerging global supply chains.

The combination of Pakistan’s mineral wealth and CPEC’s connectivity creates a unique strategic opportunity.

Pakistan possesses significant deposits of copper, gold, coal, chromite, salt, and rare earth elements spread across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Among these regions, Balochistan holds exceptional........

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