• Source:JND
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Advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached US officials with an offer to build and run a port on the Arabian Sea, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a plan seen by the newspaper. The plan envisages American investors building and operating a terminal to access Pakistan's critical minerals in the town of Pasni, according to the FT

Pasni is a port town in Gwadar District in the province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The move comes after Munir, along with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, held a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in September.

In that meeting, Sharif sought investment from US companies in the agriculture, technology, mining and energy sectors for investment.

According to the FT, the offer was floated with some US officials and was shared with Munir ahead of a meeting with Trump in the White House late last month.

Would US military use the port in Pakistan? 

The blueprint excludes the use of the port for US military bases, and instead aims to attract development finance for a rail network linking the port to mineral-rich western provinces, the FT report added.

The US State Department, White House, and Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have yet to comment.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Tries To Dazzle Trump With Rare Earth Elements At White House, Seeking American Investment, Favours

When Munir and Sharif met at the White House last week, they showcased the country’s alleged rare earth mineral wealth in a strategic bid to attract American investment. A photo released by the White House shows Trump intently examining a neatly arranged wooden box containing colorful stones, while Sharif looked on with a smile.

ALSO READ: Embarrassment For Pakistan PM: Trump Makes Shehbaz, Army Chief Wait 'Somewhere In Oval' For Hours Before Meeting

The display included larger clumps resembling bastanzite and monazite, minerals known for rare earth elements (REEs) such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, alongside smaller gemstone-like pebbles. Munir is seen pointing to the contents as Trump studied them, highlighting Pakistan’s push to flaunt its resource potential.

(With inputs from Reuters)