Mining in Pakistan is a provincial matter, and that single fact shapes everything for investors: which law applies, which department issues licences, and how projects are approved. Understanding the provincial map is the first step to understanding the opportunity in copper, gold, coal, and other minerals.
- After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, mining is a provincial subject; each province has its own mining law and a separate mines and minerals department
- Balochistan: Mines and Minerals Act 2025. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act 2025. Punjab: Mines and Minerals Act 2025. Sindh: Mines and Minerals Governance Act 2021. Gilgit-Baltistan: Mining Concession Rules 2016 (amended 2024)
- Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are noted for copper, gold, and rare-earth potential; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan for gemstones and granite
- Legal debates over federal and provincial roles continue, so check the current law and take legal advice
Why the provincial map matters
Because the 18th Amendment devolved mining to the provinces, there is no single national licensing system. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa both enacted new mining laws in 2025, aimed at attracting investment, improving transparency, and curbing illegal mining, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bill in particular drew public debate about federal and provincial roles. Fee regimes, licence types, and approval steps differ by province, so a due-diligence process that works in one may not apply in another.
Copper, gold, and coal: where the opportunity lies
The best-known project is Reko Diq in Balochistan, discussed in Balochistan's Minerals: Opportunity, Responsibility, and Realism. Beyond it, IOEC's Balochistan Economic Corridor Proposal highlights copper, gold, chromite, and coal, and the value-added processing that can follow. Demand from export markets is part of the story: copper shipments helped lift Pakistan's exports to China in 2026, as we note in China–Pakistan Trade.
A due-diligence checklist for mining investors
- Confirm the licence or lease type, validity, and conditions with the relevant provincial department.
- Review geological data and reporting against an internationally recognised standard, ideally with an independent expert.
- Check environmental and social approvals, and how the project engages local communities.
- Plan security, insurance, power, water, and transport, including routes to ports such as Gwadar.
- Understand offtake and export arrangements before committing to capital.
Responsible mining and local benefit
Local hiring, skills training, community benefit-sharing, and environmental care increasingly decide whether a project is financeable and stable. Reliable power is part of the answer, as we explore in Solar Power in Balochistan. For the wider investment picture, read Invest in Pakistan, or learn about IOEC membership.
Sources & further reading
See Mondaq's Pakistan mining comparative guide, Dawn on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mines and minerals bill, Geo on what the KP bill does, and the Geological Survey of Pakistan. This article is general information, not legal advice.