- Balochistan to strengthen the intel network, work closely with companies.
- Shahid Rind says the government is extremely serious about foreign investment.
- Barrick says it will “immediately” review its project in Balochistan.
KARACHI: Pakistan has decided to boost its intelligence network and raise a special force to guard the mineral-rich Balochistan province and its borders with Iran and Afghanistan, a provincial official said.
The development, reported by The news cites Arabic newscomes days after Canadian giant Barrick Mining Corporation said it planned “immediately” to begin a comprehensive review of all aspects of the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan.
Barrick’s decision followed coordinated attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) terrorist group in several districts across Balochistan last Saturday that killed 36 civilians and 22 security personnel. Authorities said they had killed 216 militants in follow-up operations.
“In view of the terrorist incidents, the provincial government along with security forces are redesigning the entire security architecture,” said Shahid Rind, an aide to Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti’s chief minister for media and political affairs. Arabic news.
“This includes raising a dedicated border corps to the mineral-bearing area, securing both borders, i.e. Iran and Afghanistan.”
Arabic news contacted Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, but he did not respond to questions seeking comment on the matter.
The Balochistan government will also strengthen its intelligence network and work closely with mining companies in the region.
“The government of Balochistan is extremely serious about foreign investment in the province and considers Reko Diq as the flag bearer of foreign investment,” said Rind.
“The provincial government will do whatever is necessary to maintain it.”
The latest attacks have apparently alarmed international investors, particularly Barrick, which is developing one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines in Balochistan.
“As we stated in our public filings, Barrick is conducting a review of all aspects of the Reko Diq project, including with respect to the project’s safety arrangements, development schedule and capital budget,” a Barrick spokesperson said in response to a Arabic news e-mail.
In a Feb. 5 statement issued with its fourth-quarter financial results, Barrick said the Reko Diq project “continued to advance site work in the fourth quarter, although in light of a recent increase in safety incidents, management is currently reviewing all aspects of the project.”
“The audit will begin immediately,” the Barrick spokesman said. “An update will be provided once the review is complete.”
Barrick holds a 50% stake in Reko Diq, along with three Pakistani federal state-owned companies that own 25%, while the Government of Balochistan holds the remaining 25% stake in the project.
The project is expected to begin production in 2028 and is central to Pakistan’s hopes of increasing mineral exports and attracting foreign investment in its underdeveloped mining sector.
Despite increased threats in Balochistan, developments related to the project continue in other parts of the country.
Barrick is expected to start investing in Pakistan’s port infrastructure as soon as it prepares for exports.
Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBT), the country’s first dirty bulk terminal located at Port Qasim in Karachi, will host dedicated facilities to ship Reko Diq’s production.
PIBT CEO Sharique Azim Siddiqui told Arabic news this week that Barrick would invest $150 million to build a shed and upgrade other dedicated facilities to handle shipments of copper-gold concentrate when Reko Diq production begins in 2028.
Barrick’s Pakistani subsidiary, Reko Diq Mining Company, last week signed an export agreement with PIBT under which the miner will export 800,000 tonnes of copper and gold concentrate through the terminal in the first phase, doubling the amount in the second phase, according to Siddiqui.
The Reko Diq project was revived in 2022 after years of legal wrangling and is billed by the government as a transformative investment for Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province.
But persistent militant activity and increasing attacks targeting security forces, government institutions and infrastructure have raised concerns among investors.
The latest attacks, one of the deadliest flare-ups in Balochistan in recent years, have prompted large-scale security operations across the province as authorities continue their hunt for militant facilitators.
Siddiqui said the recent rise in militancy in Balochistan remains a concern for them.
“Security challenges have always been there in Pakistan. The investors are realizing it and we are taking it in our stride and we are hoping for the best,” Siddiqui said.
“If there is no security for the freight movement, then it is going to hurt it [Reko Diq] project and hurt everyone.”
