New Delhi: Pakistan has made an offer to the US administration to build and run a port on the Arabian Sea, the Financial Times reported.
The proposed civilian port will be located in Pasni, a town in Balochistan’s Gwadar district, close to the Chabahar port in Iran, which is being developed by India.
Advisers to Pakistani Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached top US officials with the offer, valued at up to $1.2 billion, the report said.
It’s a strategic move amid a reset in ties with the US, and also to counter India’s presence in that region.
By building and operating a terminal at the Pasni port, the US will have access to Pakistan’s critical minerals in the area. Pasni town in the restive Balochistan province borders Afghanistan and Iran.
Pakistani Army chief Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month held a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Munir gave Trump a glimpse of Pakistan’s mineral wealth during the meeting, while Sharif sought investment from American companies in mining and energy sectors.
Pakistan, which was kept at an arm’s length by the Joe Biden regime, is trying to court the US by pointing out that Pasni’s proximity to Iran and Central Asia will not only enhance America’s options for trade, but also expand US influence in the Arabian Sea and Central Asia.
Pakistan’s Gwadar port, funded and managed by China, is just 100 km from Pasni.
India will be watching developments at Pasni closely, as the proposed port lies 300 km from Chabahar, where it is developing the Shahid Beheshti terminal.
The Trump administration has recently slapped sanctions on Chabahar port to pressure Iran over its nuclear programme.
India signed a 10-year deal with Iran in 2024 to develop and manage the terminal.
The Chabahar port will help India bypass Pakistan and access Afghanistan and Central Asia.