ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a $150 million minerals processing complex in Punjab province in collaboration with Saudi-based Anfal Group, a private industrial company, aiming to reduce chemical imports and expand mineral-based exports, state media reported on Thursday.
The initiative is being facilitated through the provincial government of Punjab and Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — a powerful civil-military body established in 2023 to fast-track foreign investment in key sectors such as mining, agriculture, energy, and information technology. The council brings together civilian ministries, the military, and provincial governments to streamline decision-making and reduce bureaucratic delays in large-scale projects.
The new complex is part of Pakistan’s push to attract foreign investment into its underdeveloped mineral sector. The project is expected to save Pakistan approximately $2.9 billion annually by substituting chemical imports and will create new export opportunities for processed minerals, including rock salt.
“The project will... open new opportunities for the export of key chemicals, including rock salt,” Radio Pakistan reported.
The Anfal Group’s engagement marks one of the first foreign-led projects under the SIFC’s investment umbrella in the minerals sector.
