Experts urge digital overhaul of Pakistan's mining sector

Experts have called for a comprehensive digital transformation of Pakistan’s mining sector, urging the government and industry to develop a framework centred on data-driven innovation and collaboration, saying the sector continues to lag behind others in digital maturity.

This was highlighted in the Mining Technical Conference 2026 held on Thursday in Karachi. The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) organised the conference under a theme ‘Driving Pakistan’s Mining Sector through Collaboration, Innovation & Technology’.

“Mining still lags behind other industries in digital maturity. There is a major gap between digital strategy and digital execution,” DMT Germany Senior Project Manager Florian Beier said while speaking at the event.

“Barriers to digitalisation emerge not only from inherent characteristics of the industry, but also from organisation and culture of a company.”

He said a digital transformation called for a framework to be developed with data-driven innovation, integration, and a collaborative ecosystem of competence.

He talked about machine learning (ML) as part of AI where computers learn from data instead of being explicitly programmed. “The system improves automatically as it sees more examples (maintenance time to failure prediction).”

Meanwhile, Faisal Iqbal Siddiqui, Vice President Technical & Procurement, SECMC, said building workforce for the mine of the future and investing in people and technology only delivers value with a workforce ready to operate it.

“SECMC has introduced simulator-based training for excavators and haul trucks,” he said.

Speaking about the purpose and mining vision, Mining Business Division Komatsu Middle East Director Michael Metson said, “Creating value through manufacturing and technology innovation to empower a sustainable future where people, business and our planet thrive together”.

He suggested advancing mining with solutions customers could rely on for automation, sustainability and interoperability.

Focusing on digital solutions across the mining ecosystem, Metson delineated surface mining and quarry, underground mining and workforce development.

Speaking as chief guest, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the mining technical conference was a landmark event bringing together three pillars - industry, academia and technology – that would determine the future of the mining sector.

“Pakistan has vast untapped mineral resources that require investment and technology. Sindh government recognised this and designed a policy framework that led to a transformation. The future of the industry depends on developing human capital that will lead the industry for decades. I urge the companies to not just invest in mining and machinery but also people,” he said.

Shah said the provincial government provided the legal and policy framework to develop Thar’s coal. He said two blocks were operational, including one by SECMC and the utilisation of indigenous resources had saved $3.2 billion that could have been spent on expensive fuel imports.

“Pakistan’s mineral resources could become a major source of employment, industrial growth, and national economic value if developed through responsible investment, modern technology and skilled human capital,” he said, adding that Sindh would continue to facilitate responsible investment and partnerships capable of creating long-term benefits for the national economy and local communities.

SECMC Chief Executive Officer Amir Iqbal said global companies were interested in investing in Pakistan’s vast untapped mineral resources.

He said the company’s role as organiser of the event was to create a productive space where diverse stakeholders could move beyond institutional boundaries and develop a shared direction for the industry.

“Our responsibility as the convener was to bring the right stakeholders to one table. Mining companies understand operational realities, universities bring research and knowledge, technology providers offer innovative solutions, and the government provides policy direction. Meaningful progress becomes possible when all these strengths are connected,” Iqbal said. “No single organisation can transform Pakistan’s mining sector on its own. We need sustained partnerships that connect operational experience, academic knowledge, government support and global technological expertise.”