Saindak Metals Limited (SML) has firmly rejected reports suggesting that the strategically important Saindak Copper-Gold Project in Balochistan is at risk of shutting down, describing such claims as “factually incorrect” and reiterating that the project has remained operational without interruption for the past 25 years.
The clarification came after an international media The Financial times report claimed that security concerns and logistical challenges could threaten operations at one of Pakistan’s most significant mining projects.
Managing Director of Saindak Metals Limited, Raziq Sanjrani, dismissed the report, saying there was “no possibility of the project’s shutdown.”
“The Saindak Project has remained fully operational for the last 25 years, and there is no possibility of its closure,” Sanjrani said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He explained that the company had recently approached the relevant authorities to facilitate the uninterrupted transportation of furnace oil after some transporters expressed reluctance to use certain routes in parts of Balochistan.
According to Sanjrani, the request was aimed solely at ensuring smooth logistics and had no impact on mining operations.
He added that the relevant security agencies have assured the company of full cooperation, ensuring that the supply of furnace oil to the project will continue without interruption.
Government Orders Enhanced Security
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed that the government had received security-related concerns from the mine operator in early July and immediately directed federal and provincial authorities to strengthen security arrangements.
“We have directed the provincial authorities and all concerned security agencies to beef up deployment for all of their installations, personnel, logistics and transportation,” Chaudhry told Reuters.
He said protecting international investment projects remains a government priority, adding that additional security would be provided for cargo movement and logistical operations connected to the Saindak Project.
“It is our priority to safeguard all projects run by international companies in Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan’s First Large-Scale Mining Project
Saindak Metals Limited is a public sector company responsible for the Saindak Copper-Gold Project in Chagai district of Balochistan, Pakistan’s first large-scale mining venture.
The project was launched with the Resource Development Corporation (RDC), while China’s Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) was contracted in 1992 to construct the mine under a turnkey agreement that was originally scheduled for completion in August 1995.
Over the years, the Saindak Project has become one of Pakistan’s most important mineral development initiatives, producing copper, gold and silver while contributing significantly to exports and employment in Balochistan.
According to the Financial Times, citing official statistics, output from the Saindak Project accounted for the majority of Pakistan’s approximately $750 million in copper product exports last year.
Despite recent concerns over logistics, Pakistani authorities and the project’s management have stressed that mining operations continue normally, with enhanced security measures now in place to ensure uninterrupted production and transportation.
