Senior security officials have rejected reports claiming that Pakistan offered the United States access to a naval base or port in Balochistan. They called such stories “unfounded and misleading.”
No Official Contact with Washington
Officials said that a Financial Times report alleging advisers to the army chief approached US officials with a port proposal was based on private discussions, not state policy.
A senior security source told state-run Pakistan TV that no official communication has taken place with Washington regarding any port project in Pasni, a coastal town in Gwadar district.
He clarified that Pasni’s security will not be handed over to any foreign power and that the Chief of Army Staff has no official advisers in this regard.
Private Discussions, Not Government Plans
Officials said some commercial talks, including those with the Mota Engil Group, were purely exploratory.
These proposals, they explained, were never reviewed or approved by any government or military institution.
They stressed that linking such discussions directly to the army chief was inaccurate and misleading.
Focus on Economic Partnerships
Pakistan’s security establishment said the country’s coastline offers vast potential for new commercial ports.
Any future partnerships, whether with the US, China, or Saudi Arabia, will be guided solely by Pakistan’s national interest.
Officials added that while fossil fuels once dominated global trade, today’s economy centres on mines and minerals.
Pakistan aims to attract strategic partners with investment and technology to tap its mineral wealth, not foreign military powers.
Pasni Port Idea is Still at the Discussion Stage
The US State Department, White House, and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry have not commented on the Financial Times report.
The publication claimed the port plan was presented to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir before he visited Washington.
Officials, however, said the idea was never routed through official channels or reviewed at a strategic level.
They noted that Pasni’s deep waters make it suitable for future port development, but the project remains a concept, not an initiative.
The government reiterated that national interest, not external pressure, will guide any future decision.
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