ISLAMABAD: Advisers to Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, have approached US officials with an offer to build and operate a new port on the Arabian Sea, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Friday, citing a plan it reviewed.
According to the report, the proposal invites American investors to build and run a terminal in Pasni, a coastal town in Balochistan’s Gwadar district. The port would serve as a key access point for Pakistan’s critical minerals, which are gaining global attention for their strategic importance in clean energy technologies.
The development comes shortly after Field Marshal Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Donald Trump at the White House in September. During that meeting, the Pakistani leadership reportedly urged American companies to invest in agriculture, technology, mining, and energy sectors.
The FT said the port proposal was shared with some US officials and presented to Munir ahead of his White House meeting with President Trump late last month.
The plan, however, rules out any military use by the United States, focusing instead on economic cooperation. It aims to attract development financing for a rail network linking the proposed Pasni terminal to Pakistan’s mineral-rich western provinces, boosting trade and connectivity in the region.
The report added that neither the US State Department, the White House, nor Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry immediately responded to requests for comment. The Pakistani Army also could not be reached for confirmation.
While Reuters said it could not independently verify the report, analysts view the proposal as part of Pakistan’s broader strategy to diversify foreign investment and reduce economic dependence on China.