Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir present Trump with rare earth minerals at White House; Is Pakistan secretly planning to impress US President?

Pakistan appears to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep US President Doland Trump pleased, but this time it went to great lengths. When Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir went to the White House to meet with Trump, he brought with him a box containing samples of rare earth metals and gems, which he personally presented to the US President in an effort to impress him. Pakistan Additionally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended this meeting.

What did Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir present to Trump?

In the collection of photos from the Shehbaz Sharif–Asim Munir meeting with Doland Trump, published on the official White House website, one photo shows the two presenting Trump with an 18×18 inch open wooden box that has various colorful stones in it, likely mineral specimens, according to the Economics Times report. The larger rocks look like bastnaesite and monazite, minerals rich in rare earth metals such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, whereas the smaller, vividly colored pebbles look like gemstones, the report further mentioned.

Why is Pakistan showcasing its rare earth minerals to the US President?

Pakistan has often emphasized its untapped deposits of oil, gas, and minerals—including rare earth elements—mostly located in conflict-affected Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The deposits have not yet been confirmed commercially, but Pakistani leaders disclosed samples of some of the deposits to the US President, to emphasize that Islamabad had signed exploration agreements with a private American company. PM Sharif also donned a US-Pakistan flag lapel pin, which a few social media users in Pakistan critiqued as ’embarrassing’.

Although there is no direct agreement between the governments to explore and exploit Pakistan’s mineral wealth, a military-linked engineering and mining entity called Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on September 8 with USSM, a private American firm engaged in critical minerals based in Missouri.

What is the $500 million investment?

With a $500 million initial investment from USSM to support the agreement, there are three phases: According to the media reports, Phase 1 (Immediate, 2025–2026): Minerals readily accessible, such as antimony and copper concentrates, will be exported to the US for revenues nearly instantaneously.

Phase 2 (Medium-term, 2026–2028): Construction of near-refineries and processing facilities in Pakistan that will include technology transfer for the separation and purification of rare earth elements (REEs). Phase 3 (Long-term, 2028+): Large-scale exploration and exploitation that will comprise drilling in high-potential REE belts and initiating 5-10 mining projects.

Recently, US President Doland Trump termed Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a Field Marshal as “great leaders.” Speaking with the reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, “We have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Field Marshal. Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the Prime Minister, both, and they’re coming, and they may be in this room right now.”