First Minerals Processing Conference Held in Islamabad Under the Supervision of APMOA and FMOA KP

Subject: First Minerals Processing Conference Held in Islamabad Under the Supervision of APMOA and FMOA KPThe first Mining and Minerals Processing Conference was organized in the federal capital under the supervision of the All Pakistan Mine Owners Association (APMOA) and the Frontier Mine Owners Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (FMOA KP) at the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Industries Hall. Mine owners, investors, and industrial experts from all provinces of Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir, participated enthusiastically in the conference.The conference emphasized that value addition in Pakistan’s mineral sector is the need of the hour and remains the core agenda of both associations. In his opening address, Senior Vice Chairman of APMOA and Chairman of FMOA KP, Sher Bandi Khan Marwat, stated that bringing industrial experts and foreign investors to Pakistan is the mission of the associations, provided that complete cooperation is extended by the federal and provincial governments.According to details, a renowned Chinese minerals processing company visited Pakistan on a three-day tour upon the special invitation of Sher Bandi Khan Marwat. Under the joint agenda of both associations, mine owners and investors from across the country who are interested in minerals processing, joint ventures, and value addition were invited to participate in the conference.Representatives from both government and private institutions, including Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA Islamabad), SGS, and other relevant organizations also attended the event.The primary objective of the conference was to encourage the mine owners’ community to move away from the sale of raw minerals and toward mineral processing and value-added exports. In his keynote speech, Sher Bandi Khan Marwat highlighted Pakistan’s vast mineral resources and stressed the urgent need to establish processing units for all types of minerals. He urged the government to create a favorable environment for foreign joint ventures.He further stated that instead of exporting minerals in raw form at lower prices, Pakistan could rapidly develop its mineral sector by processing and exporting value-added mineral products. He added that investors from around the world are ready to invest in Pakistan, but lack of attention and slow progress at both federal and provincial levels remain major obstacles to the sector’s growth.He demanded that the minerals sector be granted industrial status immediately, security SOPs for foreign investors be simplified, and financial institutions provide soft loans for industrial development. Participants strongly supported these demands.Speaking at the conference, the representative of the Chinese company, Shen Shu (a delegation from China’s renowned processing company, Hebei Machinery Company Limited), stated that China also once exported raw minerals, but through policy reforms and the promotion of mineral processing, it transformed into a strong global economy. He explained that China now imports minerals from around the world, processes them into value-added products, and exports them internationally, which has become a key factor behind its economic success.He advised Pakistani mine owners and investors to adopt a similar policy approach and move toward advanced mineral processing with the support of the government and financial institutions. He also briefed the audience about his company’s advanced technologies and internationally recognized processing plants, adding that the company has received multiple global awards for its performance. In continuation of this cooperation, the company also invited Sher Bandi Khan Marwat to visit China.Other office bearers of the associations, including President Uzair Tanoli, Secretary General Shahid, Najib Khan, and Qayyum Khan, also addressed the conference. They urged the federal and provincial governments to establish zonal mineral processing plants across the country with the cooperation of institutions such as SMEDA and PCSIR, so that mine owners can process their minerals and export them to international markets at better prices.At the conclusion of the conference, Sher Bandi Khan Marwat appreciated the special cooperation of the President of the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Industries, SMEDA, the Chairman of PCSIR, trade organizations, and the Board of Investment in facilitating cooperation between mine owners and Chinese companies. He expressed the commitment that such conferences would be organized on a quarterly basis and appealed to both federal and provincial governments for their full support in this regard.