{"id":1066,"date":"2025-04-17T07:38:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T07:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2025-04-17T07:38:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T07:38:38","slug":"u-s-eyes-pakistans-mineral-wealth-foreign-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1066","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Eyes Pakistan\u2019s Mineral Wealth \u2013 Foreign Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome to\u00a0<em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s South Asia Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: U.S. officials express interest in <strong>Pakistan\u2019s mineral reserves<\/strong>, the United States extradites a <strong>suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks<\/strong> to India, and reporting reveals that U.S.-made weapons have fallen into the hands of <strong>Pakistani militants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/south-asia-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-shortcode-newsletter=\"south_asia_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletters-page newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"South Asia Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-south_asia_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-south_asia_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"south_asia_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\">Sign Up<\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Pakistan\u2019s Minerals Moonshot<\/h3>\n<p>Eric Meyer, the senior official in the U.S. State Department\u2019s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, led a delegation to Islamabad last week to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y1NljwjGwN0\">attend<\/a> a minerals investment forum. In a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Meyer <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/pakistan-us-delegation-meets-premier-mineral-summit-ef0fdba9ba699429ebaf643d535dc3a8\">said<\/a> U.S. companies were keen to invest in the country\u2019s untapped mineral reserves.<\/p>\n<p>This could reflect a broader interest on the part of U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s team. The discussion came two days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled prospects for Washington to cooperate with Islamabad on critical minerals during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-rubios-call-with-pakistani-deputy-prime-minister-foreign-minister-dar\/\">call<\/a> with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.<\/p>\n<p>This interest seems to extend to the U.S. Congress, too. Rep. Jack Bergman, the co-chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenews.com.pk\/latest\/1301253-us-congressmen-hail-pakistan-visit-highlight-mineral-sector-cooperation\">identified<\/a> minerals as a \u201ckey sector\u201d for partnership. Bergman traveled to Islamabad last weekend as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1904215\/us-lawmakers-optimistic-for-stronger-pakistan-ties-after-highly-productive-visit\">first congressional delegation<\/a> to Pakistan since 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan\u2019s mineral reserves, which include massive copper and gold deposits as well as critical minerals such as lithium, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/world\/pakistan-critical-minerals-investment-potential-gross-domestic-product-security-5064436\">estimated<\/a> to stretch across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/world\/pakistan-critical-minerals-investment-potential-gross-domestic-product-security-5064436\">more than 230,000 square miles<\/a>\u2014more than twice the size of the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Islamabad has long trumpeted its mineral wealth, which it currently estimates at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.samaa.tv\/2087331806-pakistan-s-mineral-moment#google_vignette\">$8 trillion<\/a>, but it has also long struggled to find willing investors. This makes the Trump administration\u2019s interest significant. However, the prospects for U.S.-Pakistan minerals cooperation shouldn\u2019t be overstated; serious security risks make such partnership a dangerous gamble.<\/p>\n<p>Minerals might appear to be a new sweet spot for a relationship that has struggled to find anchors for partnership since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Trump administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/03\/immediate-measures-to-increase-american-mineral-production\/\">strong interest<\/a> in critical minerals is well known. China\u2019s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/13\/business\/china-rare-earths-exports.html\">decision<\/a> to suspend rare-earth exports gives the United States extra incentive to explore opportunities in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Pakistan might see an opportunity to showcase its mineral riches to a deeply transactional administration. Sharif also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenews.com.pk\/print\/1299440-mineral-reserves-can-pay-off-debts-pm\">says<\/a> mineral investments can reduce Pakistan\u2019s dependence on international financing and bolster its long-term economic sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Security, however, will be a massive challenge. Mining firms often accept high risks, given the volatile terrain in which they operate. But Pakistan\u2019s conditions are especially dangerous for prospective mining investors. The country suffered 521 terrorist attacks last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pakpips.com\/article\/8253\">according to<\/a> the Pak Institute for Peace Studies\u2014a 70 percent increase from 2023.<\/p>\n<p>More than 95 percent of the 521 attacks were in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2014where, according to official <a href=\"https:\/\/ncc.gov.pk\/SiteImage\/Misc\/files\/Minerals%20Map%20Pakistan%20Eng(1)(1).pdf\">mineral mapping<\/a>, most of Pakistan\u2019s known mineral deposits are located. This trend has continued in 2025: Of the 54 terrorist attacks reported in Pakistan in February, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1896269\/\">53<\/a> were in those two provinces.<\/p>\n<p>The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is one of Pakistan\u2019s most potent violent actors. The number of attacks perpetrated by the BLA and other banned Baloch insurgent groups increased by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pakpips.com\/article\/8253\">119 percent<\/a> between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Broadly, counterterrorism operations, state crackdowns, and large infrastructure projects in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent decades have angered local communities. And significantly, anger about resource exploitation has long fueled BLA attacks.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, mineral investors would be stepping into a powder keg. Pakistan\u2019s army chief has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenews.com.pk\/latest\/1299254-army-will-provide-robust-security-to-investors-in-mineral-sector-coas\">promised<\/a> to provide security to mineral investors, but Pakistan hasn\u2019t sufficiently addressed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/250dec05-4092-494b-bfc8-56fd008a6e1a\">security concerns<\/a> of investors from China\u2014its closest ally\u2014despite deploying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1316040\">thousands of security forces<\/a> to protect Chinese infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n<p>If mineral investors from the United States or elsewhere are looking at opportunities in Pakistan, they might push to bring in their own security forces. This is illegal in Pakistan, but if Islamabad gave in, that would create even more volatility.<\/p>\n<p>There are also infrastructure and energy constraints to mineral investment in Pakistan. For example, Sharif has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/609b6a23-2d91-4c59-91da-c78224558a7c\">called<\/a> on investors to refine and process minerals in-country. But executives from Canada-based Barrick Gold, one of the few foreign mining companies currently operating in Pakistan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/609b6a23-2d91-4c59-91da-c78224558a7c\">say<\/a> there is insufficient cheap and reliable electricity. (Barrick Gold is partnering with Pakistan to develop a gold and copper mine in Balochistan.)<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan has long exemplified what is known as the resource curse, as a country that struggles economically despite massive mineral wealth. Given security risks and other obstacles, it\u2019ll be tough to break anytime soon.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Mumbai attack suspect extradited to India.<\/strong> Last week, Tahawwur Rana\u2014a suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks\u2014was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/04\/10\/india\/tahawwur-rana-extradited-us-mumbai-terror-attacks-intl-hnk\/index.html\">extradited<\/a> from the United States to India. The terrorist attacks were carried out by the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and killed 166 people across the city in hotels, a hospital, a restaurant, and a Jewish community center.<\/p>\n<p>Rana is a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, but he was living in the United States during the attacks. He was initially arrested in the United States in 2009, but various legal issues kept him from being extradited until now. He was serving a 14-year sentence in Los Angeles for providing support to LeT.<\/p>\n<p>Though Indians have applauded the extradition of Rana, many are focused on another U.S.-based co-conspirator of the Mumbai attacks: Pakistani American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/david-headley-homegrown-terrorist\">David Headley<\/a>, who has confessed to being an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/frontline\/article\/confessed-american-terrorist-details-plans-for-chilling-plot\/\">LeT member<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/david-headleys-testimony-could-reinforce-suspicions-about-pakistans-terrorism-ties\/2011\/05\/20\/AFprbK9G_story.html\">operative<\/a> with Pakistan\u2019s main spy agency.<\/p>\n<p>Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the United States for his role in helping to plan the attacks; he signed a plea agreement that stipulated that he not be extradited. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/rana-a-small-player-us-acted-in-bad-faith-on-2611-stalled-headleys-extradition-former-union-home-secretary-gk-pillai\/article69432521.ece\">some Indians<\/a> believe that Washington is protecting him unnecessarily. (The United States has denied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/most-complex-case-how-india-got-hold-of-tahawwur-rana-arrested-by-us-in-2009-101744298275327.html\">allegations<\/a> that Headley once worked as a U.S. government operative.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Indian fugitive arrested in Belgium.<\/strong> Meanwhile, Mehul Choksi, a diamond jeweler and one of India\u2019s most prominent fugitives, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/14\/world\/asia\/mehul-choksi-arrest-belgium-nirav-modi.html\">arrested<\/a> by Belgian authorities over the weekend in the city of Antwerp, which is known for its diamond industry.<\/p>\n<p>Choksi is wanted on charges related to a plot to defraud Punjab National Bank (PNB) of nearly $1.8 billion. Choksi headed an Indian jewelry retailer that once oversaw several thousand stores across India. India is seeking his extradition, but Choksi\u2019s lawyer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c5y6l36kg9ro\">said<\/a> he will contest the request because of insufficient evidence of guilt as well as Choksi\u2019s poor health.<\/p>\n<p>Choksi is often associated with his nephew Nirav Modi, another high-end diamond merchant who is also accused in the PNB fraud case; he is currently awaiting extradition in London, though, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/india\/nirav-modis-confidential-process-blocking-uk-extradition-unlikely-to-conclude-soon\/articleshow\/118609219.cms?from=mdr\">Indian reports<\/a>, a long legal process makes that unlikely for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Report reveals Pakistani militants using U.S. weapons.<\/strong> On Monday, a <em>Washington Post<\/em> investigation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2025\/04\/14\/afghanistan-war-weapons-pakistan-taliban-militants\/\">revealed<\/a> that U.S. weapons previously used by Afghan security forces before the Taliban takeover in August 2021 have landed in the hands of Pakistani militants. The weapons include assault rifles, machine guns, and night-vision goggles.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Army and Defense Department officials confirmed to the <em>Post<\/em> that at least 63 weapons seized by Pakistani officials from militants had been originally given to Afghan security forces by the U.S. government. The regional implications of these loose weapons may extend beyond Pakistan: Indian officials have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/us-weapons-afghanistan-taliban-kashmir-rcna67134\">said<\/a> militants in Indian-administered Kashmir also use U.S.-made weapons.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Post <\/em>reports that the BLA used U.S.-made rifles when it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/3\/11\/deadly-pakistan-train-hijack-what-happened-and-whats-next\">hijacked<\/a> a passenger train last month\u2014the first time any group has done so in Pakistan. The investigation effectively validates Pakistani officials\u2019 claims that the Taliban takeover enabled these groups to strengthen their capacities with U.S. weapons.<\/p>\n<p>However, this shouldn\u2019t take away from the other key factors driving increased militancy in Pakistan, which include safe havens in Taliban-led Afghanistan and the lack of a Pakistani strategy to curb terrorism.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Under the Radar<\/h3>\n<p>On Tuesday, the Maldives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/maldives-bans-israelis-to-show-resolute-solidarity-with-palestinians-amid-gaza-war\/\">announced<\/a> that it would ban Israeli nationals from entering the country\u2014a gesture intended to express \u201cresolute solidarity\u201d with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Maldivian economy relies heavily on tourism, but this is a low-risk move: Last year, Israelis made up just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/maldives-bans-israelis-to-show-resolute-solidarity-with-palestinians-amid-gaza-war\/\">0.6 percent<\/a> of total tourist arrivals in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The ban could also benefit President Mohamed Muizzu politically: Both government allies and the political opposition have pushed for such a move, which will likely be popular among the public.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Sri Lanka\u2014another island state with a shaky and tourism-dependent economy\u2014has taken a different approach to Israeli tourists, who are flocking to the country and especially to the resort town of Arugam Bay. There, Israeli tourism has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/article\/s1gcj6xtye\">led to tensions<\/a> with locals, including complaints about cultural insensitivity and increased security measures.<\/p>\n<p>Some Sri Lankans worry that the large number of Israeli military personnel among the tourists could still increase the risk of terrorist attacks. Last year, a U.S. Embassy <a href=\"https:\/\/lk.usembassy.gov\/security-alert-avoid-travel-to-arugam-bay-due-to-credible-threat\/\">security alert<\/a> prompted the evacuation of U.S. and Israeli tourists from Arugam Bay, before being <a href=\"https:\/\/lk.usembassy.gov\/message-to-u-s-citizens-in-sri-lanka-u-s-embassy-colombo-rescinds-travel-restrictions-for-arugam-bay\/\">rescinded<\/a> weeks later.<\/p>\n<p>This all makes for a delicate challenge for Sri Lanka, which maintains <a href=\"https:\/\/echelon.lk\/israel-and-sri-lanka-forge-collaborative-path-in-technology-and-agriculture\/\">friendly relations<\/a> with Israel. The number of Israeli tourists coming to Sri Lanka <a href=\"https:\/\/newlinesmag.com\/spotlight\/as-tourism-surges-in-sri-lanka-locals-are-asking-who-truly-benefits\/\">doubled<\/a> last year, to 20,000, suggesting that they can make a difference economically.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Regional Voices<\/h3>\n<p>In the <em>Express Tribune<\/em>, <strong>Asghar Zaidi<\/strong>, a former university vice chancellor, <a href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2539890\/need-for-globally-competitive-future-ready-universities\">argues<\/a> that Pakistan must strengthen its higher education sector. \u201cThe need is not for just more universities, but for better ones\u2014future-ready, globally competitive institutions that integrate artificial intelligence (AI), foster inclusion, align with future job markets, and empower students to lead and innovate,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n<p>A <em>Daily Star<\/em> <strong>editorial<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailystar.net\/opinion\/editorial\/news\/we-must-prepare-all-uncertainties-3869726\">examines<\/a> how Bangladesh\u2019s garment exports-dependent economy can shield itself from risks posed by the U.S.-China trade war. \u201cDiversifying products and markets, forging bilateral and regional trade ties, encouraging foreign investments and joint ventures, and enhancing the country\u2019s brand value must be explored creatively and with urgency,\u201d it argues.<\/p>\n<p>In the <em>Print<\/em>, journalist <strong>Karanjeet Kaur<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/opinion\/urrak-goa-favourite-drink-travelling-tavernas-tokyo-bars\/2589636\/\">discusses<\/a> the growing global popularity of <em>urrak<\/em>, an alcoholic drink made in the Indian state of Goa. \u201cIn urrak\u2019s journey from Goan tavernas to Tokyo\u2019s elite bars, a truly local symbol gradually becomes universal\u2014not through mass production, but by remaining exactly what it is and has always been,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/16\/pakistan-mineral-reserves-investment-trump-security\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to\u00a0Foreign Policy\u2019s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: U.S. officials express interest in Pakistan\u2019s mineral reserves, the United States extradites a suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to India, and reporting reveals that U.S.-made weapons have fallen into the hands of Pakistani militants. Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1066","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}