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Now, 1 200 kilometres north in Islamabad’s gleaming government enclave, a different kind of mining is under way—political and financial. In a bright conference room filled with flags and flashbulbs, executives from U.S. Strategic Metals (USSM) and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization (FWO) sign an agreement worth about USD 500 million. The deal: to build Pakistan’s first poly-metallic refinery, capable of processing critical minerals for global supply chains.

ADB has approved a loan of roughly USD 300 million (plus an ~USD 110 million guarantee) for the Reko Diq copper-gold mine in Pakistan. While not a direct “company buys company” deal, this is nonetheless a major international-local partnership in infrastructure and natural-resources—a move with deep implications for investors at every level.

Bloomberg's observation that the S&P 500 acts like "a punching bag toy" – absorbing hits and bouncing back – captures today's investment paradox perfectly. Despite tariff turmoil, inflation fears, and geopolitical conflicts, markets keep rising. The index is up 12% this year after two consecutive years of 25% returns, with tech concentration at historic highs.