THIS is with reference to the article “Mystery of the ‘port deal’” (Oct 8), which quoted a recent report by the Financial Times as reporting that some advisers to Pakistan’s army chief discussed with American officials a proposal to develop a deep-sea port in the coastal city of Pasni in Balochistan. The article pointed out at the outset that ‘senior security sources’ have denied any concrete move in that direction.

In fact, some White House sources cited by the Financial Times also denied that any such proposal was discussed at the presidential level. However, as the said article argued, the subject, nevertheless, “has raised many questions”. The port initiative, if at all it gets ahead, may provide the United States potential access to one of the most strategic locations in the region.

According to media reports, American investors under the proposed plan would be granted the right to build and operate the port at Pasni — located about 100 miles from the Iranian border and 70 miles east of Gwadar, where China has already developed a major deep-sea port under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The proposed project is expected to serve as a hub for Pakistan’s vast mineral resources, and to connect with the mineral-rich region of Reko Diq through a new railway line for the transport of copper, antimony and other rare earth elements (REEs).

The Pasni project is reportedly one among several initiatives Islamabad has floated to reset and strengthen relations with Washington. One adviser quoted in the report admitted that Pakistan had neglected its strategic relationship with the US over the last two decades, allowing India to fill the resulting vacuum.

The proposed Pasni project — estimated to cost around $1.2 billion, financed through federal funding and US developmental investments — is described as purely commercial, with no clause allowing any US military presence. However, the project’s geopolitical weight cannot be ignored, especially given its proximity to both Iran and the Chinese-operated port at Gwadar.

In September, an American company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Pakistani firm to enhance cooperation in mining and mineral processing — a sign that American interest in Pakistan’s mineral sector is on the rise. While official narratives portray this as an economic opportunity, the implications are far-reaching. The initiative could alter the regional balance, introducing a new layer of US-China strategic competition along Pakistan’s coastline.

It is, therefore, crucial for Islamabad to proceed with utmost caution, ensuring that national interests, sovereignty and regional stability are not compromised in pursuit of short-term economic gains.

Khaliq Baksh
Pasni

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2025