【By Guan察者网, Yuan Jiaqi】

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have warmed up due to the India-Pakistan conflict in May. After the first formal bilateral interaction between the two leaders last week, British media reported that a Pakistani advisory team has proposed to the U.S. the construction and operation of a port in the Arabian Sea, which could provide Washington with a foothold in one of the world's most sensitive regions.

On October 4 local time, the Financial Times reported that two individuals, reportedly civilian advisors to the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, Major General Munir, revealed that Pakistan plans to attract American investors to develop a port in the fishing city of Pasni, making it a hub for accessing Pakistan's key mineral resources.

According to these advisors, the proposed port project will be accompanied by the construction of a new railway to transport minerals from inland areas of Pakistan, focusing on copper and antimony, which is used in batteries, flame retardants, and missiles. Last year, China had banned exports of antimony and other dual-use items to the U.S.

The Financial Times cited content from the plan's blueprint, stating that the port is expected to cost up to $1.2 billion, with its financing model being a combination of federal government funding and U.S. development financing.

Notably, Pasni's strategic location is extremely sensitive, only 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) away from Iran and just about 70 miles (about 112 kilometers) from the China-funded Gwadar Port.

The report said supporters of the plan believe that given Pakistan's need to balance its complex diplomatic relations with China, the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia, the Pasni Port plan will help Pakistan hedge risks on the global stage.

Financial Times map

According to the report, the blueprint stated, "Pasni's proximity to Iran and Central Asia will enable the U.S. to expand trade and security options... cooperation in Pasni will counterbalance the impact of Gwadar Port... and expand U.S. influence in the Arabian Sea and Central Asia."

The blueprint also mentioned, "China's investment in Gwadar Port under the Belt and Road Initiative has raised concerns about the so-called dual-use facilities." For years, the U.S. has frequently hyped up the idea of Chinese military facilities or bases at important ports like Gwadar, exaggerating the expansion of China's overseas military influence. Both China and Pakistan have repeatedly denied these claims.

The blueprint also added that the Pasni Port plan does not include "direct military garrisons." The advisors explained that this means the port will not be used as a U.S. military facility.

One of the advisors said, "I have been telling our leaders that we need to diversify (diplomatic and economic) while maintaining our decades-long friendly relationship with China." He claimed that the Pasni Port plan does not involve the Chinese concession area of Gwadar Port.

According to the Financial Times, the port plan has not yet become an official policy of Pakistan. On Saturday local time, a senior Pakistani military official clarified that "the Chief of Army Staff (Munir) has no official appointed advisors."

The official added that the port concept "arose from private discussions with U.S. companies" and was not "submitted through official channels." "At present, it is still a commercial proposal that awaits further study," he said.

The two advisors said that the proposal has already been discussed with some U.S. officials and was reported to the Chief of Army Staff before his September meeting with President Trump at the White House. However, a senior U.S. official stated that Trump and his advisors did not discuss such a proposal.

On September 26 local time, U.S.-Pakistan talks, Chief of Army Staff Munir presented rare earth minerals to President Trump. White House official X account

One of the advisors also claimed that he has been communicating with the Trump team through unofficial channels for more than a year.

He said that over the past 20 years, U.S.-Pakistan relations have deteriorated, with India "filling the vacuum." But after the India-Pakistan conflict, "the overall narrative of U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relations changed."

The report said Pakistan hopes to reshape bilateral relations through economic and investment cooperation. To maintain momentum in interactions with the Trump administration, Pakistani officials have proposed multiple initiatives through public or private channels, and the Pasni port plan is one of them.

Other proposals include cooperating with Trump's supported cryptocurrency projects, working together to combat the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), supporting Trump's Gaza peace plan, and opening access to key mineral resources for the U.S.

In the key mineral sector, the U.S. has already shown interest. In September this year, the U.S. Strategic Metals Company (USSM) based in Missouri signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistani military engineering department to strengthen cooperation.

According to the report, in late September, Pakistan had already sent the first small batch of key minerals and rare earths to the company, weighing less than 2 tons, including copper, antimony, and neodymium.

Mike Hollomon, the business director of USSM, said the company plans to establish a refining plant in Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan last month, he met with officials of two major ports in Karachi and nearby areas, as well as a representative from Gwadar Port.

Hollomon added that USSM had heard about the possible port planning project near Pasni. He pointed out that Pasni has the advantage of a natural deep-water harbor and can be connected by rail to the Reko Diq copper-gold mine developed by Canada's Barrick Mining Company, therefore "it is highly reasonable to build port facilities in this region."

He also said, "In our meetings with the Chief of Army Staff (Munir), he emphasized that Pakistan has long been an ally of the U.S., and mineral cooperation is a way to re-activate this 'sleeping friendship.'"

Currently, the mineral industry contributes only about 3% to Pakistan's GDP, and a large amount of undeveloped mineral resources are concentrated in the western provinces, which have been in a state of chaos for years.

However, Hussain Abidi, Chairman of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), still believes that Pakistan has huge potential for undeveloped mineral resources. He said, "This is a resumption of U.S.-Pakistan relations through economic cooperation, rather than limited to traditional security cooperation."

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