{"id":104684,"date":"2026-01-29T13:16:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/?p=104684"},"modified":"2026-01-29T13:17:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:17:01","slug":"cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html","title":{"rendered":"Gwadar set to lead Pak’s minerals, export push under CPEC 2.0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Islamabad: Pakistan and China are entering a new phase of economic cooperation under CPEC 2.0, with a focus on mineral development to boost industrialization, exports, and sustainable growth, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the China-Pakistan Mineral Cooperation Forum, the minister said Gwadar would serve as the main gateway to connect Pakistan\u2019s mineral-rich regions with regional and global markets. \u201cCPEC Phase-II is shifting from infrastructure-centric projects to value-added, export-oriented initiatives,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Mega tourism projects under Gwadar Smart Port City Plan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlighting Pakistan\u2019s untapped mineral potential, Iqbal said the country hosts around 92 known minerals, with 52 currently under extraction from nearly 5,000 operational mines. However, mineral exports contribute only 2\u20133% to GDP due to limited value addition, with over 90% of exports being raw or semi-processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises to invest in modern extraction, processing, and refining technologies. \u201cWith improved governance, technology, and strategic partnerships, Pakistan\u2019s mineral exports could rise to $6\u20138 billion annually, support GDP growth of 6%, and create more than 350,000 jobs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Existing projects, including Saindak Copper-Gold, Duddar Lead-Zinc, and Thar Coal, illustrate the potential of mineral-based industrialization. The government is also promoting development along corridors such as Naukundi\u2013Mashkhel\u2013Turbat\u2013Gwadar to directly link Balochistan\u2019s mineral belt with the port city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iqbal underscored the importance of responsible and inclusive development, ensuring that mining benefits resource-rich regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through employment, skills development, infrastructure, and social services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Gwadar\u2019s blue economy projected to add USD 850m to exports<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also highlighted that strong environmental standards and adherence to ESG principles are essential for sustainable growth and investor confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister said Pakistan has strengthened institutional coordination through the Special Investment Facilitation Council to provide fast-track approvals, policy consistency, and secure conditions for Chinese investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith China as our trusted partner, Pakistan is determined to convert its mineral wealth into industrial strength, export competitiveness, and shared prosperity,\u201d Iqbal concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Islamabad: Pakistan and China are entering a new phase of economic cooperation under CPEC 2.0, with a focus on mineral development to boost industrialization, exports, and sustainable growth, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday. Addressing the China-Pakistan Mineral Cooperation Forum, the minister said Gwadar would serve as the main gateway to connect Pakistan\u2019s mineral-rich regions with regional and global markets. \u201cCPEC Phase-II is shifting from infrastructure-centric projects to value-added, export-oriented initiatives,\u201d he added. Read: Mega tourism projects under Gwadar Smart Port City Plan Highlighting Pakistan\u2019s untapped mineral potential, Iqbal said the country hosts around 92 known minerals, with 52 currently under extraction from nearly 5,000 operational mines. However, mineral exports contribute only 2\u20133% to GDP due to limited value addition, with over 90% of exports being raw or semi-processed. The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises to invest in modern extraction, processing, and refining technologies. \u201cWith improved governance, technology, and strategic partnerships, Pakistan\u2019s mineral exports could rise to $6\u20138 billion annually, support GDP growth of 6%, and create more than 350,000 jobs,\u201d he said. Existing projects, including Saindak Copper-Gold, Duddar Lead-Zinc, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":69325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15016],"tags":[5109,63220,7553,63621,61960,61959,4311,5600,1514,70994,3619,5294,63230,63222,34475,63218,70996,70995,62543,60602,70997],"persona":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-104684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-developments","8":"tag-ahsan-iqbal","9":"tag-balochistan-minerals","10":"tag-chinese-investment","11":"tag-copper","12":"tag-cpec-2-0","13":"tag-export-led-growth","14":"tag-gold","15":"tag-granite","16":"tag-gwadar","17":"tag-industrialization","18":"tag-investment-opportunities","19":"tag-marble","20":"tag-mineral-development","21":"tag-mining-industry","22":"tag-pakistan-economy","23":"tag-pakistan-minerals","24":"tag-pakistan-china-economic-corridor","25":"tag-rare-earths","26":"tag-special-investment-facilitation-council","27":"tag-sustainable-growth","28":"tag-value-added-exports","29":"cat-15016-id"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCPEC 2.0: Gwadar to lead minerals, export push - Zameen News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CPEC 2.0: Gwadar to lead minerals, export push - Zameen News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pakistan Real Estate News & Pakistan Property News & Latest Updates - Zameen News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZameenPK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-29T08:16:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-29T08:17:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1170\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Samra Zulfiqar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ZameenProperty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ZameenProperty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Samra Zulfiqar\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"CPEC 2.0: Gwadar to lead minerals, export push - Zameen News","description":"The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"CPEC 2.0: Gwadar to lead minerals, export push - Zameen News","og_description":"The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html","og_site_name":"Pakistan Real Estate News & Pakistan Property News & Latest Updates - Zameen News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZameenPK","article_published_time":"2026-01-29T08:16:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-29T08:17:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1170,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Samra Zulfiqar","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ZameenProperty","twitter_site":"@ZameenProperty","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Samra Zulfiqar","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html"},"author":{"name":"Samra Zulfiqar","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/9810bc80e0f6830dcb87310b88ef6293"},"headline":"Gwadar set to lead Pak’s minerals, export push under CPEC 2.0","datePublished":"2026-01-29T08:16:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-29T08:17:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html"},"wordCount":352,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg","keywords":["Ahsan Iqbal","Balochistan minerals","Chinese investment","copper","CPEC 2.0","export-led growth","gold","granite","gwadar","Industrialization","investment opportunities","marble","mineral development","mining industry","Pakistan economy","Pakistan minerals","Pakistan-China Economic Corridor","Rare Earths","Special Investment Facilitation Council","sustainable growth","Value-Added Exports"],"articleSection":["New Developments"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html","url":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html","name":"CPEC 2.0: Gwadar to lead minerals, export push - Zameen News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-29T08:16:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-29T08:17:01+00:00","description":"The minister emphasized opportunities in sectors such as marble, granite, copper, gold, and rare earths, urging Chinese enterprises...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CPEC.jpg","width":1170,"height":400},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/cpec-2-0-gwadar-to-lead-minerals-export-push.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gwadar set to lead Pak’s minerals, export push under CPEC 2.0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/","name":"Pakistan Real Estate News & Pakistan Property News & Latest Updates - Zameen News","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#organization","name":"Zameen.com","alternateName":"Zameen","url":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/upload\/2015\/09\/Zameen.com_-_Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/upload\/2015\/09\/Zameen.com_-_Logo.png","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"Zameen.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZameenPK","https:\/\/x.com\/ZameenProperty","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zameenpk\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/9810bc80e0f6830dcb87310b88ef6293","name":"Samra Zulfiqar","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Samra-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Samra-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news-cdn.zameen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Samra-96x96.jpg","caption":"Samra Zulfiqar"},"description":"Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market\u2019s most promising opportunities.","url":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/author\/samra"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104685,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104684\/revisions\/104685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104684"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=104684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}