ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has pitched a proposal to U.S. officials offering American investors the chance to build and operate a new commercial port on the Arabian Sea, according to a plan cited by the Financial Times. The move underscores Islamabad’s effort to reset ties with Washington and attract Western capital into its struggling economy, according to “The Frontier Post”.
The plan, reportedly reviewed by the paper, envisions developing a port terminal in the coastal town of Pasni in Balochistan province. The facility, located near the strategic hub of Gwadar and bordering both Afghanistan and Iran, would serve as a gateway for accessing Pakistan’s critical minerals.
The offer was floated by advisers to Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and was shared with him ahead of his late-September meeting at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump, the FT reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also attended the talks, where he urged U.S. firms to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, technology, mining, and energy sectors.
Unlike longstanding speculation over foreign military use of Pakistani ports, the blueprint for Pasni excludes basing rights for U.S. forces. Instead, it seeks development financing for infrastructure, particularly a rail network to connect the port to Pakistan’s mineral-rich western regions.
Neither Washington nor Islamabad has formally confirmed the proposal. The U.S. State Department, White House, and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Pakistan’s Army could not be reached. Reuters also noted it could not independently verify the FT report.
If pursued, the Pasni project would mark a notable shift in Pakistan’s economic outreach, coming at a time when Beijing-backed development through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has slowed. Islamabad’s offer suggests it is now looking to diversify its partnerships — and perhaps rebalance geopolitically between East and West.
