Pakistan Officials Deny US-Built Pasni Port Plan

Advisers to Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reportedly floated a proposal to invite American investors to finance, build and operate a civilian terminal at Pasni, paired with a rail link into mineral-rich western provinces to export critical minerals such as copper, lithium and rare earths. The Financial Times and other outlets said the blueprint could be valued at up to about $1.2 billion and explicitly rules out use of the port for US military basing. Pakistani security officials and state outlets have pushed back, calling the reporting exploratory or speculative, denying any official offer or any plan to hand Pasni’s security to a foreign power and reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the China-backed CPEC. The pitch follows Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s September White House visit with President Donald Trump and is widely seen as an attempt to woo Washington and hedge dependence on Beijing, a move analysts say could strain ties with China and complicate regional geopolitics. US and White House officials say the proposal was not discussed at the highest levels and the reports remain unverified even as Islamabad seeks broader US investment in mining and energy sectors.