US officials and Pakistan leaders discuss critical minerals cooperation

US officials, including Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker and Peshawar Consul General Tom Eckert, met with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and other parliamentary leaders in Islamabad. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation regarding critical minerals, energy, and security.

Critical minerals are essential for modern manufacturing and the transition to clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles and solar panels, though they are subject to supply chain vulnerabilities. In Pakistan, mineral rights are managed at the provincial level under the 18th Amendment. The KP government has allocated Rs240 million ($864,702) to mining in its 2026-27 development budget.

In a separate meeting, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met with Babar Saleem Swati to discuss parliamentary affairs, legislation, and the strengthening of linkages between federal and provincial legislative institutions.