PM meets with Barrick Gold delegation; Reko Diq feasibility report is due by year’s end

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and a group from Barrick Gold Company, headed by CEO Mark Bristow, met on Friday. They told him that by year’s end, the Reko Diq project in Balochistan will have its feasibility study finished.

The prime minister stated that he thought the Reko Diq project will revolutionize the way Balochistan and the surrounding area developed. He said, “This project will usher in a new era of development of the province and prosperity of the people.”

Additionally, he noted that in order to make the most of Balochistan’s natural wealth, planning will be done for connectivity infrastructure, notably railway lines.

The prime minister also asked Barrick Gold to think about funding further mineral ventures in the region. He proposed that the government and Barrick Gold work together to build a technical university in the Chagai area.

He stated that the government is dedicated to helping investors, especially in the fields of transportation and communications infrastructure.

The Barrick Gold delegation gave an update on the Reko Diq project’s status, stating that the feasibility study will be finished this year. They emphasized how important it is to the firm to hire locals and people who are residents of Balochistan for this project.

Furthermore, Barrick Gold revealed their CSR initiatives, which included the construction of three schools adjacent to Reko Diq and the giving of technical training to one hundred people, including women.

Musadik Malik, the minister of petroleum, Azam Nazir Tarar, the federal minister of law and justice, Muhammad Jehanzeb, the deputy chairman of the planning commission, and other pertinent top government officials attended the meeting.