Govt eyes new steel mill in Kalabagh

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has started working on a plan to either establish a new steel mill in Kalabagh in Mianwali or engage investors to realise the proposed project.

Pakistan Ministry of Industries and Production officials said that an important meeting will soon be held with relevant stakeholders to gather input on the Kalabagh steel mill project.

According to the officials, the concept was originally suggested two decades ago, with a feasibility study conducted in 2007 for the development and exploitation of Chichali iron ore and the commissioning of a steel mill at Kalabagh.

Prior to this, a similar plan was proposed by the government of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

The idea of a steel mill in Kalabagh dates back to 1956 when a German company offered assistance for a mill based on local iron ore, coal, and other minerals.

In 2011, a Chinese firm, Amlong, expressed interest in setting up a steel mill in Kalabagh, recognising the potential of over 780 million tons of iron ore spread across Punjab, Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

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