ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is strengthening its economic ties with Donald Trump-led US government through new adventures, as the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Washington.
Days after the historic meeting, a report shared by Financial Times said Army Chief Asim Munir’s aide pitched American officials the idea of building and operating a port in Balochistan’s Pasni, giving Washington access to the region rich in gold, copper, iron ore, coal, marble, and gas.
It said Pakistani officials wanted US to build and operate a port on Arabian Sea, which is of importance to South Asian nation, serving as a gateway to international trade and connecting the country to the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The report further mentioned that port plan excludes any US military presence in the region, and focusing solely on attracting development finance to build a railway linking the port to Pakistan’s western part.
British publication said the plan envisions American investors constructing a terminal in Pasni, a strategic port town in Balochistan’s Gwadar District near the borders with Afghanistan and Iran as the two sides are looking to tap new ventures.
Pasni Port reports linked to Private Talks, Not State Action
Amid the buzz, senior military officials dismissed claims suggesting that the US was offered the opportunity to build and operate a port on the Arabian Sea. Officials said no official proposal was ever made. The port concept was only raised in informal discussions with a non-governmental group, has not been formally presented by the government, and has not been reviewed at any strategic level.
They stressed that private conversations by individuals or commercial entities should not be seen as state action.
Let it be known that during recent meetings, Pakistani PM sought US investment in agriculture, technology, mining, and energy sectors, signaling a new era of Pakistan-US economic collaboration.
