Pakistan, April 24 -- The mineral sector is back in the spotlight as the Asian Development Bank has raised its commitments to $3.672 billion in 2025, a 22 per cent increase aimed at supporting fiscal reform, digital skills and a major copper-gold mining project. A separate $350 million initiative seeks to narrow a 37 per cent gender finance gap and establish 1,700 STEM labs.

At the same time, turmoil around the Strait of Hormuz has created an unexpected opening. Islamabad cut port tariffs by 60 per cent, and Karachi handled 11,000 transhipment containers in March, up from 8,300 a year earlier. New calls from Hapag-Lloyd and OOCL are generating as much as $75,000 per vessel.

While it is heartwarming, this sudden momentum should not be co...