Quetta, October 24, 2023 – National Resources Limited (NRL) has been awarded an exploration lease for minerals in the Chagai district of Balochistan.
NRL, a subsidiary of YB Pakistan Limited, Reliance Commodities (Pvt.) Limited, and Liberty Mills Limited, has secured a 500 sq. km area in the Chagai region for mineral exploration. The lease application was submitted by NRL in early 2022, and it has now been granted following the completion of all legal and procedural requirements.
Once realized, this project is expected to attract significant investments in the mining sector and create both direct and indirect employment opportunities, particularly in Balochistan, Pakistan. Depending on feasibility, NRL intends to process the extracted materials locally before export.
NRL has obtained the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Environmental, Forest, and Wildlife departments, permitting the initiation of exploration activities. The NRL board has approved the exploration plan, and the company is currently in the process of hiring exploration resources to commence physical operations soon.
A spokesperson for NRL stated that the company plans to recruit its workforce primarily from within Pakistan, especially from Balochistan. Additionally, they intend to engage a reputable foreign consultancy firm to oversee the entire exploration process. A primary role of this foreign consultancy will be to train local engineers, enabling them to independently manage such exploration activities.
NRL expresses confidence that this award will inspire other domestic Pakistani companies to enter the mining sector. The mining sector has been identified as a priority area for revitalizing the national economy, and the Strategic Investment Facilitation Cell (SIFC) has formulated a roadmap to streamline the entire mining chain, from applying for mining leases to delivering value-added products. NRL aims to align with SIFC’s vision, which seeks to make mining activities and resulting exports contribute to at least 5% of the national GDP. NRL extends its gratitude to the Government of Balochistan and SIFC for granting this lease.
In addition to its exploration activities, NRL is developing a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan to benefit the local communities in the region. The company has already initiated the construction of a model NRL compound in the area, which includes a school, play area, clinic, and a reverse osmosis (RO) plant. This program will be extended to other neighboring communities in conjunction with exploration activities and will be accelerated in due course. NRL firmly believes that the success of mining endeavors is closely tied to ensuring that the local population directly benefits from the economic activities in the area, the spokesperson emphasized.
