Placer gold in Punjab rivers exists in significant quantities, according to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who said on Thursday that the province had found evidence of the resource in all five of its rivers. Speaking at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 (PMIF26) in Islamabad, she named Mianwali and Attock as the districts where the deposits appear most promising and invited international investors to help develop them.
What the Chief Minister Said at PMIF 2026
Maryam Nawaz held up what she described as a sample of pure gold recovered from river sand during her address. She said the government had significant evidence of a sufficient quantity of placer gold, but stressed that surveys were still under way to establish how much of it there actually is. No official estimate of the total quantity was given at the forum.
She also said the gold had been found alongside sand and gravel containing rare earth and precious minerals, which she suggested could be comparable in value to the gold itself. The chief minister framed the discovery as an opportunity for partnership, saying the province was looking for international partners to turn it into shared prosperity.
Why Placer Gold in Punjab Rivers Draws Investor Attention
Placer gold is a secondary deposit. It forms when gold is released from a primary hard-rock source, such as a quartz or sulfide vein, through natural weathering and erosion, and is then carried and redeposited by water, ice or wind. Rivers are therefore a classic location for such deposits, since flowing water concentrates heavy particles of gold in sand and gravel over long periods.
For investors, deposits of this kind can be attractive because they sit near the surface and are often easier to reach than hard-rock reserves. However, their commercial value depends on verified quantities, recovery methods and the regulatory framework governing extraction, none of which has yet been publicly detailed for the Punjab rivers. That is why the pending surveys on placer gold in Punjab rivers matter as much as the announcement itself.
Earlier Findings Near Attock
The latest claim about placer gold in Punjab rivers follows earlier reporting on gold in the province. In February 2025, Business Recorder reported that about 28 lakh tola, roughly 32,620 kilograms, of placer gold had been identified in the Indus River near Attock, with an estimated market value of between Rs600 billion and Rs700 billion. According to that report, the Pakistan Geological Survey first identified the deposits, and they were subsequently confirmed by NASPAQ and other firms.
The Punjab government responded by forming a high-level committee to oversee the project and said it planned to auction the reserves internationally, subject to approval of the rules by the provincial cabinet. It also imposed Section 144 in Attock to ban illegal mining and set up an eight-member committee under the Minister for Mines, Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, to strengthen coordination between administrative departments and law enforcement agencies.
Mining Revenue and the Investment Push
Maryam Nawaz linked the announcement to a wider effort to formalise the provincial mining sector. She said revenue from the Mines and Minerals Department had risen from Rs10 billion, when she took office, to Rs40 billion in two and a half years. In her words, Pakistan is a pot of gold that only needs to be unearthed, explored and turned into tangible wealth.
The remarks came as the federal government promoted the wider sector. Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said ahead of the forum that Pakistan has largely untapped potential in copper, antimony, iron ore, gemstones and other critical minerals. After meeting a delegation from the consultancy Wood Mackenzie, he said the government wants to connect small-scale miners and existing leaseholders with major international companies through joint ventures, technology transfer and financial partnerships.
He also advocated a phased approach to value addition, in which commercially viable mining would pave the way for copper smelting, refining and downstream manufacturing. The push for foreign capital comes as Pakistan secures other international backing, including the Asian Development Bank’s approval of $500 million in contingent disaster financing this week.
About the Forum
The two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum is organised by the government in collaboration with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). It brings together senior leadership, international mining executives, investors and policymakers. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir are among the featured speakers. The programme highlights critical minerals, sustainable mining practices and policy frameworks intended to support transparent and responsible sector growth.
What Comes Next
The immediate question is how large the deposits of placer gold in Punjab rivers actually are. Until the surveys conclude,the chief minister’s description of the discovery remains an indication of potential rather than a measured reserve. Investors will also look for clarity on the licensing and auction process, the safeguards against illegal mining, and the share of benefits that would flow to the province and nearby communities. The answers will determine whether the interest generated at the forum turns into concrete partnerships.
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