PM Shehbaz hopes Pakistan will become world's 6th largest economy 'earlier than 2050'

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 in Islamabad that he expects Pakistan to reach the position of the world’s sixth-largest economy before 2050. Dawn reported that he was revising the timing of a Goldman Sachs projection, which had placed that outcome in 2075.

The two-day forum is being used to promote the country’s mineral resources and attract overseas investment, with officials pledging investor-friendly policies and institutional support. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik outlined exploration work on copper, gold, lithium, tin, tungsten and other minerals, alongside plans to expand copper smelting and improve geological data.

Malik also pointed to transport and other infrastructure, including an upgrade to the Rohri-Nokundi railway corridor, links to Port Qasim and facilities around Reko Diq. He said the government wants investment to extend beyond mines into processing and refining, while building local skills and involving communities in producing areas.