Pakistan will host global mining leaders in Islamabad on 12 and 13 November 2026 for the third Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum (PMIF26), with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and the heads of Barrick Mining Corporation and Ivanhoe Mines among the confirmed speakers.

The two-day forum takes place at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad and is organised by the Government of Pakistan and endorsed by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) is the founding partner, and its managing director and chief executive, Ahmed Hayat Lak, is serving as president of the forum and will deliver the closing remarks.

Who is speaking at PMIF26

The strategic conference brings together Pakistan's senior political and military leadership with international mining executives, investors and technical experts. Alongside the prime minister, the confirmed Pakistani speakers include Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces; Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar; and Federal Minister for Energy (Petroleum Division) Ali Pervaiz Malik, who will deliver the welcome address on the opening day.

The international line-up includes Robert Friedland, founder and chairman of Ivanhoe Mines; John L. Thornton, chairman of Barrick Mining Corporation; Andrew Neilson, chief executive of the Weir Group; and Mustafa Aksoy, chief executive of Calik Group. Representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank Group, Lazard, Wood Mackenzie and Milbank are also taking part, alongside Reko Diq Mining Company and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.

What the forum aims to do

The forum is Pakistan's main pitch to international investors for its minerals sector. Sessions will cover financing early-stage exploration, building a future-ready mining workforce, women's participation in mining, antimony developments and geological survey collaboration. An international exhibition running alongside the conference includes a Mineral Expo and a European Pavilion, with exhibitors including Barrick Mining Corporation, Reko Diq Mining Company, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Mari Energies, Government Holdings (Private) Limited, the Frontier Works Organization, the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation and National Resources.

Reko Diq, the large copper and gold project in Balochistan operated by Barrick, is the centrepiece of Pakistan's mining pitch, and the presence of both Barrick's chairman and Ivanhoe's founder underlines the government's attempt to attract further large-scale investment into the sector.

Why it matters

Pakistan has long argued that its mineral reserves are underdeveloped because of weak exploration, uncertain regulation and a lack of investment. The forum is designed to show investors that the government, the military leadership and the SIFC are aligned behind the sector, and to move discussion from general interest towards specific projects, financing and partnerships.

Whether the event produces signed deals or mainly expressions of interest will become clear after the two days. For now, the confirmed attendance of the world's biggest mining names gives the government the audience it wanted. The full programme was announced on 5 November 2026, and The News reported the expected attendance of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and major global mining companies.