Overview

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir are seen showing a box of rare earth samples to the president during last week’s White House meeting.
• The photo connects to Sept. 8 agreements between Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization and United States Strategic Metals for critical‑minerals exports and a proposed polymetallic refinery, with an initial phase of about $500 million.
• Pakistani accounts said the roughly 90‑minute talks focused on security and economic ties and included Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• Officials and analysts caution the MoUs are nonbinding and that large‑scale extraction and processing could take years given technical, infrastructure, and security challenges, particularly in Balochistan.
• Pakistan is marketing its mineral potential as Washington seeks to diversify critical‑minerals supply chains away from China and as Islamabad pursues new U.S. investment.