Pakistan military eyes key role developing giant copper and gold mine

[Ghessan]

na bro i am not saying or talking about vote and other crap i meant we people chose them among us most of our grass root politicians are corrupt and then then come in parlimant member after they keep their kids in this business just like musicians and actors now a days.
we people who were shopkeeper will remain shopkeeper.

when a democratic process is not in continuity and is played with, same happens. the consequences go too far that bring unbearable loss to the masses.

 

[newb3e]

na bro i am not saying or talking about vote and other crap i meant we people chose them among us most of our grass root politicians are corrupt and then then come in parlimant member after they keep their kids in this business just like musicians and actors now a days.
we people who were shopkeeper will remain shopkeeper.

well nation as a whole we are rotten!

 

[Crystal-Clear]

its better to trust FWO than any tom dick and herry or any israeli company .

i'm more concerned about one being driving force

common Pakistani supports such presence of Army . we know they arnt saint but they aren't as corrupt as politicians and civilian administration .

 

[Sugarcane]

This is the equipment that is available with FWO.

https://www.fwo.com.pk/features-mainmenu-47/summary

PA not only has combat engineering battalions but is backed by FWO assets as well. That is tens of thousands of support troops and civil/retd element.

These all assets when push comes to shove will be used in war effort.

However, with a minuscule budget how do we finance, train and maintain a capability for war effort. You use the assets in civil sector so that these assets are adequately trained for war effort while generating revenue in order to remain self sufficient.

Instead of being a white elephant, FWO is currently engaged in several motorway projects on project financing basis. I know so because the department that I work for in a bank has financed two of these projects.

FWO is also currently going for own cement plant (if the economic conditions allow so). 50-70% of the the capacity will be used for own captive use. They have become so big that they need own cement plant in order to ensure the raw material availability and to control the cost of raw material.

Going forward you can expect FWO to expand its foot print further.

Better to use FWO in a Joint venture instead of a foreign firm considering the ample human resource available in Pakistan.

Well, No need to explain anything to Idiots who even don't know that FWO is Government of Pakistan's own Organization.

Having reservation about corruption (like any other state's entity) within FWO is one thing but starting wanking lil willies as soon as some people hear name of Pakistan army is altogether different thing and there is no cure of it.

 

[Handshake]

FWO has control over best copper mines in Pakistan.

 

[ARMalik]

Oh God, here we go again, People with their narrow minds and small thinking trying to talk on a subject with zero geo-political knowledge. Let me enlighten those who just do not GET IT.

-Reko Dig a NATIONAL SECURITY project. The deposits of Gold are so big that it can change the destiny of Pakistan. Knowing perfectly well how important this project was, some major foreign powers conspired with Zardari and later with NS to take over the project. Some of the main front companies were Barrick Gold, which is a huge Jewish company.

-These foreign powers conspired, but Pak military here knew what was going on so they put a stop to this and exploration licences were cancelled. These licences were corruptly issued to these foreign companies by Zardari and NS.

-The foreign companies backed by foreign powers decided to stall the project, basically if they could not have it then no one would have it. These foreign companies took this to International Court of Settlements. For those who do not know, this court is nothing more than a fake kangaroo court installed by powerful countries to loot poor countries of their resources. This fake court decided in the favor of the jewish mafia Barrack Gold.

-Also, the Chinese got involved but instead of helping out Pakistan, they wanted to take over the whole project and give peanuts in return to the Government of Pakistan. These people are very sneaky.

-Finally, the powers in Pakistan decided to give this to Pak Military because there is only power everyone not only in Pakistan but internationally is afraid of and it is Pak Military.

It is VERY CRITICAL that the Military does this project as a NATIONAL SECURITY PROJECT. This is the mineral wealth of Pakistan and it is upto Pakistan to decide when, where and who will extract this wealth for the people of Pakistan. I sincerely hope that the military does this project with zeal and there is good outcome for Pakistan.

 

[Ghessan]

Oh God, here we go again, People with their narrow minds and small thinking trying to talk on a subject with zero geo-political knowledge. Let me enlighten those who just do not GET IT.

-Reko Dig a NATIONAL SECURITY project. The deposits of Gold are so big that it can change the destiny of Pakistan. Knowing perfectly well how important this project was, some major foreign powers conspired with Zardari and later with NS to take over the project. Some of the main front companies were Barrick Gold, which is a huge Jewish company.

-These foreign powers conspired, but Pak military here knew what was going on so they put a stop to this and exploration licences were cancelled. These licences were corruptly issued to these foreign companies by Zardari and NS.

-The foreign companies backed by foreign powers decided to stall the project, basically if they could not have it then no one would have it. These foreign companies took this to International Court of Settlements. For those who do not know, this court is nothing more than a fake kangaroo court installed by powerful countries to loot poor countries of their resources. This fake court decided in the favor of the jewish mafia Barrack Gold.

-Also, the Chinese got involved but instead of helping out Pakistan, they wanted to take over the whole project and give peanuts in return to the Government of Pakistan. These people are very sneaky.

-Finally, the powers in Pakistan decided to give this to Pak Military because there is only power everyone not only in Pakistan but internationally is afraid of and it is Pak Military.

It is VERY CRITICAL that the Military does this project as a NATIONAL SECURITY PROJECT. This is the mineral wealth of Pakistan and it is upto Pakistan to decide when, where and who will extract this wealth for the people of Pakistan. I sincerely hope that the military does this project with zeal and there is good outcome for Pakistan.

nobody is denying those facts here so far as i know!

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Some foreign company lost the bid and approached media to spew shit about FWO. Knowing the Dynamics FWO is the most capable company in Asia. It was hard to snatch the contract away from them.

Lol FWO people arent angels as you might think.

Its full of scum too.

And has no expertise in mining , it’s solely a road/building construction organisation.

 

[Baghial]

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-pakistan-mine-military-insight-idUSKBN1QT03K

Pakistan military eyes key role developing giant copper and gold mine
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s military is taking a key role in the development of one of the world’s biggest untapped copper and gold deposits, which is currently stalled by a multi-billion dollar legal wrangle with foreign mining firms, multiple sources familiar with the situation said.


FILE PHOTO: Pakistani armed forces in tanks take part during the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood/File Photo
The Reko Diq mine has become a test case for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ability to attract serious foreign investment to Pakistan as it struggles to stave off an economic crisis that has forced it to seek an International Monetary Fund bailout.

Ten current and former provincial and federal government officials and mining sources familiar with the project in the Baluchistan region say the military has become the most important voice on the future of Reko Diq, which it sees as a strategic national asset.

The military will not only be in a position to decide which investors develop the deposit, but an army-controlled engineering firm, Frontier Works Organization (FWO), is positioning itself to be a member of any consortium involved, these people said.

“This has been taken over by GHQ,” said a senior Baluchistan government official, referring to the Pakistan army’s General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

In a statement in response to Reuters’ questions about its role in Reko Diq, the military spokesman’s office said: “(The military) may only participate in government’s plan of development of Reko Diq, as per national requirements.”

But it acknowledged that FWO, best known for building roads through Pakistan’s rugged and lawless border regions, has developed “substantial” mining capability in recent years and would be interested in taking a role in the project.

“If an opportunity arises of participating in developing Reko Diq, FWO may work at par with other competitors (or) companies provided the project is financially viable (or) suitable,” the statement said. When asked, a spokesman declined to elaborate on the statement.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said civilian authorities in the insurgency-hit southwestern province of Baluchistan were in charge of Reko Diq and, along with Khan, would take a decision, but added that the military “and all other stakeholders are obviously important players”.


FWO referred questions to the military spokesman’s office. Khan’s spokesman Iftikhar Durrani said Baluchistan province was in charge of Reko Diq, and referred questions to the provincial government and the military spokesman’s office.

The manoeuvring behind the project shows how the military, which has historically dictated Pakistan’s security and foreign policy, is leveraging its sway over the civilian government at federal and provincial level to carve a growing role in the nation’s business affairs.

The army has ruled the nuclear-armed nation for nearly half its history and is considered to have a major influence over Khan’s recently elected government. A military spokesman declined to comment.

“The military has taken a front seat,” said Ayesha Siddiqa, author of the book “Military Inc.”, which analyses the army’s business interests and influence in Pakistan.

“They’ve understood that the economy is important for having a strong military,” she said. “Control of the economy also gives the military a handle over expanding their business interests.”

TALKS
Buried at the foot of an extinct volcano near the frontier with Iran and Afghanistan, the mine’s development has long been delayed by a dispute with previous investors in the project, Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta.

The government is urgently trying to settle the dispute as a World Bank arbitration tribunal, which ruled against Pakistan in 2017, is in the next few months expected to announce how much in damages the country must pay to the foreign firms, who are claiming more than $11 billion.

The dispute relates to the withholding of a mining lease.

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Islamabad is also trying to find new partners to invest in the project.

But any new investors will need the blessing of Pakistan’s military, according to government officials and mining sources.

State-run companies from resource-hungry China have long coveted Reko Diq and more recently Saudi Arabia has shown interest, according to Pakistani officials.

Some Western diplomats say the Reko Diq dispute has been a significant foreign investment deterrent, with international businesses unnerved at how Pakistan dealt with the companies that had pledged to invest $3.3 billion to develop the country’s then-biggest mining project.

Barrick Gold and Antofagasta, whose joint venture Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) discovered vast mineral wealth in Reko Diq, say they had invested more than $220 million by the time the Baluchistan government, in 2011, unexpectedly refused to grant them the critical mining lease needed to keep operating.

Pakistan argued its move was legitimate because TCC’s feasibility study was incomplete and the country’s Supreme Court voided the deal in 2013. But in 2017 the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruled against Pakistan.

TCC did not respond to requests for comment and Antofagasta and Barrick Gold both declined to comment. Reuters could not determine whether either company would be willing to return to the project.

FOREIGN INVESTORS
The last serious attempt at settling the Reko Diq case was scuppered in 2016 by the military, which vetoed paying hundreds of millions of dollars to TCC, according to a senior Baluchistan official and two former senior officials in Islamabad.

But the military has since changed its stance and is more open to a settlement with TCC, according to a lawmaker close to the military and a source close to Prime Minister Khan. The military was also involved in appointing Pakistan’s current legal team.


Slideshow (2 Images)
In response to a Reuters question about blocking the previous settlement effort, the military said: “Let’s see how the case progresses.” It did not elaborate or comment on whether it was playing any role in the latest negotiations.

Some mining experts say a likely solution would be for a new investment consortium to pay the settlement fee on behalf of cash-strapped Pakistan in exchange for future royalty fees or mining rights.

Information Minister Chaudhry said Pakistan was engaged in negotiations with “both” the current investors about a settlement and also potential new investors, with interest coming from the Middle East and Europe. He declined to name the potential investors.

Pakistani Finance Minister Asad Umar said in October that Saudi Arabia has inquired about investing in Reko Diq and another government official confirmed talks were ongoing.

Saudi Arabia did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Reko Diq. During Crown Prince bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan last month, the kingdom pledged to invest $2 billion in mineral development projects, though the provisional agreements were vague and did not mention any specific projects.

China’s state-owned miner China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), which operates the Saindak copper and gold mine close to Reko Diq, has been eyeing the bigger deposit for more than a decade, according to mining and MCC officials.

A few years ago Chinese state giant Norinco also made an approach, according to two sources familiar with Norinco’s offer.

MCC and Norinco did not respond to requests for comment.

When a mining company approached former general Abdul Quadir Baloch about Reko Diq around 2016, when he was federal minister for the frontier regions, he took their proposal not only to then-premier Nawaz Sharif, but also to the army chief.

“The military has to give a (security) guarantee to any company coming in to explore or exploit this project, so they are a stakeholder,” said Baloch.


The military declined to comment on Baloch’s assertions. Sharif, who has since been jailed on corruption charges, could not be reached for comment.

The army-run FWO does not have the funds or the expertise to develop the Reko Diq project, which boasts 5.9 billion tons of ore. But it could be part of a consortium alongside global miners who have the know-how to mine such a gargantuan deposit.

The military’s role in developing natural resources in Baluchistan also carries risks, however, analysts say.

Indigenous Baloch people view outsiders with suspicion, and their anger about Islamabad exploiting the province’s vast natural resources has been one of the key themes fuelling a separatist insurgency that began around 2004.

Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Alex Richardson

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Another milestone

MILITARY GENERALS MILLIONAIRE.............TAKING NOT JUST A PIECE OF CAKE- BUT THE WHOLE CAKE-

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

lets see where it takes Riko Diq

Look at all previous military projects; handled with utmost efficiency. From our Dams to Islamabad and so much more, the military knows what it is doing.

 

[BHarwana]

Lol FWO people arent angels as you might think.

Its full of scum too.

And has no expertise in mining , it’s solely a road/building construction organisation.

Okay no problem they will gain experience from is project bro. It will strengthen our own industry.

 

[313ghazi]

We should avoid foreign partners altogether. Hire expensive consultants for tech and expertise, but don't let anyone profit share. The gold and copper under that land is the haq of the Pakistani awam, not of foreign companies.

We should mine the gold and copper, store the gold and sell products made from the copper, rather than the raw material. This is how wealth is generated. We don't sell the raw material, instead make wire from it and other common goods that people make out of copper and export that instead. This would encourage mining, manufacturing and export rather than just mining.

 

[Sipahi]

Look at all previous military projects; handled with utmost efficiency. From our Dams to Islamabad and so much more, the military knows what it is doing.

I was talking about this.


Pakistan ‘faces $11.43b damages claims’ in Reko Diq mining case


https://tribune.com.pk/story/1612383/1-pakistan-faces-11-43b-damages-claims-reko-diq-mining-case/

 

[Bashido]

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-pakistan-mine-military-insight-idUSKBN1QT03K

Pakistan military eyes key role developing giant copper and gold mine
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s military is taking a key role in the development of one of the world’s biggest untapped copper and gold deposits, which is currently stalled by a multi-billion dollar legal wrangle with foreign mining firms, multiple sources familiar with the situation said.


FILE PHOTO: Pakistani armed forces in tanks take part during the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood/File Photo
The Reko Diq mine has become a test case for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ability to attract serious foreign investment to Pakistan as it struggles to stave off an economic crisis that has forced it to seek an International Monetary Fund bailout.

Ten current and former provincial and federal government officials and mining sources familiar with the project in the Baluchistan region say the military has become the most important voice on the future of Reko Diq, which it sees as a strategic national asset.

The military will not only be in a position to decide which investors develop the deposit, but an army-controlled engineering firm, Frontier Works Organization (FWO), is positioning itself to be a member of any consortium involved, these people said.

“This has been taken over by GHQ,” said a senior Baluchistan government official, referring to the Pakistan army’s General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

In a statement in response to Reuters’ questions about its role in Reko Diq, the military spokesman’s office said: “(The military) may only participate in government’s plan of development of Reko Diq, as per national requirements.”

But it acknowledged that FWO, best known for building roads through Pakistan’s rugged and lawless border regions, has developed “substantial” mining capability in recent years and would be interested in taking a role in the project.

“If an opportunity arises of participating in developing Reko Diq, FWO may work at par with other competitors (or) companies provided the project is financially viable (or) suitable,” the statement said. When asked, a spokesman declined to elaborate on the statement.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said civilian authorities in the insurgency-hit southwestern province of Baluchistan were in charge of Reko Diq and, along with Khan, would take a decision, but added that the military “and all other stakeholders are obviously important players”.


FWO referred questions to the military spokesman’s office. Khan’s spokesman Iftikhar Durrani said Baluchistan province was in charge of Reko Diq, and referred questions to the provincial government and the military spokesman’s office.

The manoeuvring behind the project shows how the military, which has historically dictated Pakistan’s security and foreign policy, is leveraging its sway over the civilian government at federal and provincial level to carve a growing role in the nation’s business affairs.

The army has ruled the nuclear-armed nation for nearly half its history and is considered to have a major influence over Khan’s recently elected government. A military spokesman declined to comment.

“The military has taken a front seat,” said Ayesha Siddiqa, author of the book “Military Inc.”, which analyses the army’s business interests and influence in Pakistan.

“They’ve understood that the economy is important for having a strong military,” she said. “Control of the economy also gives the military a handle over expanding their business interests.”

TALKS
Buried at the foot of an extinct volcano near the frontier with Iran and Afghanistan, the mine’s development has long been delayed by a dispute with previous investors in the project, Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta.

The government is urgently trying to settle the dispute as a World Bank arbitration tribunal, which ruled against Pakistan in 2017, is in the next few months expected to announce how much in damages the country must pay to the foreign firms, who are claiming more than $11 billion.

The dispute relates to the withholding of a mining lease.

ADVERTISEMENT

Islamabad is also trying to find new partners to invest in the project.

But any new investors will need the blessing of Pakistan’s military, according to government officials and mining sources.

State-run companies from resource-hungry China have long coveted Reko Diq and more recently Saudi Arabia has shown interest, according to Pakistani officials.

Some Western diplomats say the Reko Diq dispute has been a significant foreign investment deterrent, with international businesses unnerved at how Pakistan dealt with the companies that had pledged to invest $3.3 billion to develop the country’s then-biggest mining project.

Barrick Gold and Antofagasta, whose joint venture Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) discovered vast mineral wealth in Reko Diq, say they had invested more than $220 million by the time the Baluchistan government, in 2011, unexpectedly refused to grant them the critical mining lease needed to keep operating.

Pakistan argued its move was legitimate because TCC’s feasibility study was incomplete and the country’s Supreme Court voided the deal in 2013. But in 2017 the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruled against Pakistan.

TCC did not respond to requests for comment and Antofagasta and Barrick Gold both declined to comment. Reuters could not determine whether either company would be willing to return to the project.

FOREIGN INVESTORS
The last serious attempt at settling the Reko Diq case was scuppered in 2016 by the military, which vetoed paying hundreds of millions of dollars to TCC, according to a senior Baluchistan official and two former senior officials in Islamabad.

But the military has since changed its stance and is more open to a settlement with TCC, according to a lawmaker close to the military and a source close to Prime Minister Khan. The military was also involved in appointing Pakistan’s current legal team.


Slideshow (2 Images)
In response to a Reuters question about blocking the previous settlement effort, the military said: “Let’s see how the case progresses.” It did not elaborate or comment on whether it was playing any role in the latest negotiations.

Some mining experts say a likely solution would be for a new investment consortium to pay the settlement fee on behalf of cash-strapped Pakistan in exchange for future royalty fees or mining rights.

Information Minister Chaudhry said Pakistan was engaged in negotiations with “both” the current investors about a settlement and also potential new investors, with interest coming from the Middle East and Europe. He declined to name the potential investors.

Pakistani Finance Minister Asad Umar said in October that Saudi Arabia has inquired about investing in Reko Diq and another government official confirmed talks were ongoing.

Saudi Arabia did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Reko Diq. During Crown Prince bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan last month, the kingdom pledged to invest $2 billion in mineral development projects, though the provisional agreements were vague and did not mention any specific projects.

China’s state-owned miner China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), which operates the Saindak copper and gold mine close to Reko Diq, has been eyeing the bigger deposit for more than a decade, according to mining and MCC officials.

A few years ago Chinese state giant Norinco also made an approach, according to two sources familiar with Norinco’s offer.

MCC and Norinco did not respond to requests for comment.

When a mining company approached former general Abdul Quadir Baloch about Reko Diq around 2016, when he was federal minister for the frontier regions, he took their proposal not only to then-premier Nawaz Sharif, but also to the army chief.

“The military has to give a (security) guarantee to any company coming in to explore or exploit this project, so they are a stakeholder,” said Baloch.


The military declined to comment on Baloch’s assertions. Sharif, who has since been jailed on corruption charges, could not be reached for comment.

The army-run FWO does not have the funds or the expertise to develop the Reko Diq project, which boasts 5.9 billion tons of ore. But it could be part of a consortium alongside global miners who have the know-how to mine such a gargantuan deposit.

The military’s role in developing natural resources in Baluchistan also carries risks, however, analysts say.

Indigenous Baloch people view outsiders with suspicion, and their anger about Islamabad exploiting the province’s vast natural resources has been one of the key themes fuelling a separatist insurgency that began around 2004.

Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Alex Richardson

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Another milestone

Why don't we give whole Pakistan officially to army. Let them govern the country. let them do the business and kill the bloody civillians.

 

[Winchester]

Knowing the Dynamics FWO is the most capable company in Asia. It was hard to snatch the contract away from them.

FWO is the most capable company in Asia?

Sure if Asia is between Kabul and Karachi.

As corruption has destroyed other institutions in Pakistan, the Army doesn't want to be left out.