According to a report by the UK-based Financial Times (FT), Pakistan has offered the U.S. access to a proposed deep-sea port at Pasni, a small fishing town in Balochistan, located about 70 miles east of Gwadar and 100 miles from the Pakistan–Iran border.

• The proposal reportedly aims to facilitate U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in critical mineral exports, including copper and antimony, amid rising global demand for such resources following China’s export restrictions on key minerals.

More About the News

• The Pasni Port project is being pitched as a strategic terminal to ship critical minerals from Pakistan’s interior — particularly from the Reko Diq copper-gold mines in Balochistan.
• It would be connected by a new railway corridor linking mineral-rich regions to the Arabian Sea coast.
• The proposed project is estimated to cost up to $1.2 billion, with a financing model combining Pakistani federal funds and U.S.-backed development finance.
• Pasni is viewed as a natural deep-water site, making it suitable for export terminals and mineral refineries.

• Pakistan’s official sources have denied any formal offer to the U.S.
  • The official added that “there is no plan to hand over Pasni’s security to any foreign power”, and that linking the idea directly to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was “misleading.”

Strategic and Geopolitical Significance

• The proposed Pasni Port holds major strategic and geopolitical implications in the Indian Ocean region. 
• Located about 70 miles from the Chinese-built Gwadar Port, Pasni lies close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of global oil trade passes, giving it immense maritime importance.
• For Pakistan, the project represents an attempt to diversify foreign partnerships and attract U.S. investment amid economic distress, while reducing overdependence on China under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 
• For the U.S., Pasni could offer a strategic foothold on the Arabian Sea near Iran and counterbalance China’s growing influence in Gwadar and the wider region.

However, the proposal, if pursued, could strain Pakistan–China ties and intensify India’s maritime security concerns, as it adds another layer to the evolving great-power competition along the northern Arabian Sea.

MCQs

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the proposed Pasni Port project:

1. Pasni is located in Pakistan’s Sindh province, about 70 miles from Karachi.
2. The proposed port aims to facilitate the export of critical minerals like copper and antimony.
3. The Pasni project, if realized, would be situated close to China’s Gwadar Port.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b)

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