Brief
Pakistan defence minister says no US mining contract awarded
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif denied any US mining deal and said talks are at an early stage.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan has not awarded any mineral mine or mining contract to the United States, adding that discussions on mineral development are still in an initial stage.
He noted that the United States, China, Canada and Australia have all shown interest in Pakistan’s mineral resources and that the country needs foreign investment and expertise to extract its wealth, but will work only with partners it deems reliable and secure.
Asif also criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for allegedly failing to act against militant hideouts, urging federal‑provincial cooperation on security and describing governor’s rule as a last‑resort measure after other options were exhausted.
Key facts
- Pakistan has not awarded any mineral mining contract to the United States (dailytimes.com.pk)
- Discussions on mineral development are at an initial stage (dailytimes.com.pk)
- The US, China, Canada and Australia have expressed interest in Pakistan’s mineral resources (dailytimes.com.pk)
- Asif criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s handling of militant hideouts and called for federal‑provincial cooperation (dailytimes.com.pk)
Sources
- [1] dailytimes.com.pk — originally reported as “Khawaja Asif says Pakistan has awarded no mineral mine or contract to the US”
