Gold flowing through Punjab’s five rivers? Maryam Nawaz reveals Pakistan’s untapped mineral wealth

Dubai: Gold is “literally flowing” through Punjab’s five rivers, Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has claimed, highlighting what she described as vast untapped mineral wealth that could transform the province’s economy.

Speaking at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad on Thursday, Maryam said there was “significant evidence” of substantial quantities of placer gold in the province’s rivers, particularly around Mianwali and Attock.

According to a report in Dawn, the chief minister described Pakistan as a “pot of gold”, saying the country’s enormous mineral potential had remained largely unexplored.

“The wealth beneath Punjab was never a problem,” she said, arguing that administrative and political challenges had prevented the country from fully exploiting its natural resources.

What is placer gold?

Placer gold refers to naturally occurring gold particles found in riverbeds, sand and gravel, rather than embedded in solid rock.

These deposits form when gold-bearing rocks erode and particles are carried downstream by water, eventually settling in river sediments.

Such deposits can be recovered through techniques including panning, washing and mechanical excavation.

Maryam’s remarks highlighted the potential for commercial extraction, although she did not provide specific estimates of the quantity or commercial value of gold deposits in the five rivers.

Punjab’s mineral wealth

The chief minister said Punjab’s mines and minerals department had increased its revenue from approximately Rs10 billion to Rs40 billion over the past two and a half years.

“And it is just the beginning,” she declared.

She also pointed to major iron ore deposits in Chiniot, saying the area possessed an estimated 261.5 million tonnes of iron ore.

Maryam said her government was working to attract domestic and international investors by removing bureaucratic obstacles and simplifying approval procedures.

The province was introducing one-window facilitation to help investors avoid lengthy administrative processes.

She also highlighted concessional financing of up to Rs5 billion, government-backed capital investments to reduce land acquisition costs and solar-powered energy solutions to offset expensive electricity and fuel.

Pakistan eyes mineral-led growth

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also addressed the forum, said Pakistan’s mineral resources could play a major role in transforming its economy.

He highlighted the country’s copper and gold potential along the Tethyan mineral belt, particularly in Balochistan, alongside deposits of iron ore, chromite, coal, rock salt, marble and gemstones.

Dar cited the Reko Diq copper-gold project as an example of how international investment, provincial participation and mineral development could generate long-term economic benefits.

However, he stressed that Pakistan should move beyond simply extracting and exporting raw minerals.

Instead, the country needed to develop processing, refining and manufacturing industries to create jobs and increase export earnings.

Dar also emphasised that provincial governments must retain their constitutional authority over mineral resources and that local communities should benefit through employment, training and economic opportunities.

Environmental protection, worker safety and rehabilitation of mining sites would remain essential, he added.

The forum brought together senior federal and provincial leaders as Pakistan seeks to turn its largely untapped mineral resources into a new engine of economic growth.