Lahore: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the need to ensure strong and foolproof security measures for everyone involved in the Reko Diq Project, as well as for the transportation of goods from Reko Diq to the Gwadar seaport.
He attended an important meeting held on sunday concerning the Reko Diq mining project and gave instructions while leading the meeting. The meeting observed participation from a delegation of Barrick Gold Company, led by its CEO Mark Bristow, joining through a video link.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized on the importance of consulting all stakeholders at the official level and removing any obstacles hindering the project’s progress.
He also highlighted the need of improving communication infrastructure, particularly railway lines, to effectively utilize the mineral resources of Balochistan.
Additionally, he urged for the expedited upgrade of road networks linking the Reko Diq project to the Gwadar port. He instructed to speed up the construction of new roads wherever they are being built.
The Prime Minister called for the development of a comprehensive strategy to assess the feasibility of establishing a rail and road network from Reko Diq to the Gwadar port.
He pointed out that the railway line project connecting Reko Diq to Gwadar would significantly reduce the distance to the port compared to Bin Qasim port. Moreover, this new railway line would benefit the mineral-rich district of Chaghi and contribute to the expansion of the mining industry.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister requested a detailed briefing next week on the progress of the Reko Diq road and rail connectivity project.
He strictly instructed officials to overcome all hurdles at the official level to expedite the completion of the environment and social impact assessment related to the Reko Diq project.
During the meeting, it was announced that the feasibility study for the Reko Diq project would be finished by December 2024.
It was revealed that 6000 containers would be transported from the Reko Diq project to the port every month. Additionally, the concentrate pipeline of the project is set to become the second-longest slurry pipeline globally. The mining company will construct the link road from Reko Diq to the national highway M-40.
Moreover, it was shared that the 103-kilometer road from Nokandi to Mashkhel, connecting Reko Diq to the Gwadar port, is already 58 percent complete.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Petroleum Musadiq Malik, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Muhammad Jehanzeb, and other high-level officials were present at the meeting.
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