TORONTO, March 5: A Pakistani delegation currently visiting Canada will make a presentation of the country’s fabulous mining potential at an international conference being held here.

“Pakistan’s mining potential has not been shown to the world and now initiatives have been taken to bring a broad-based delegation to an international conference being attended by delegates from around the globe,” said leader of the delegation Saleem H. Mandviwala, who is also Minister of State and Chairman of Pakistan Board of Investment.

Talking to Dawn at a reception hosted in his honour by Canada-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday, he said the delegation comprising officials from all provinces. “Even it has representation from Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir,” he added.

Toronto’s four-day international exhibition and conference of mineral exploration experts which began on March 4, is being attended by over 1,000 exhibitors and 27,000 delegates from 120 countries. “Pakistan will attend this annual conference next year also,” Mandviwala said.

Pakistani delegation members avoided questions about Reko Diq copper and gold mining project in Balochistan saying the matter is sub judice as the case is now before the Supreme Court and TCC has filed for international arbitration.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview, DG Mineral Irshad Ali Khokhar said the visit to Canada will be quite useful and productive.

When he was told that after a cold war in Afghanistan, a gold war has begun in neighbouring Balochistan as China, Tethyan and many other international companies are taking interest in Reko Diq exploration, Khokhar said: “This is your way of thinking, this is your own perception. I have nothing to say about it. For any exploration in Pakistan national interest comes first.”