China, explained.
Ports of call (Getty Images Plus)
Pakistan’s Pasni port pitch to Washington can reshape regional rivalries with China and India
Minerals over missiles – at least, that’s the message Islamabad is sending.
China, explained.
Ports of call (Getty Images Plus)
Minerals over missiles – at least, that’s the message Islamabad is sending.
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Pakistan’s Pasni port pitch to Washington can reshape regional rivalries with China and IndiaPakistan’s Pasni port pitch to Washington can reshape regional rivalries with China and India
Pakistan has quietly pitched a bold idea to Washington to build a new deep-sea port at Pasni, on the Arabian Sea, just over 100 kilometres from the China-funded port at Gwadar and about half as far again from Iran and India’s joint Chabahar port.
If the United States decides to back the project, this could become South Asia’s most geopolitically charged shoreline.
Pasni, a small fishing town with an estimated population of 70,000, has long been regarded as a potential site for port development. The waters are naturally deep, and the town is well positioned on the Arabian Sea. China saw the same potential in nearby Gwadar Port, developing the area under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor linked to the Belt and Road Initiative. The Pasni proposal does not include any provisions for US military bases, but rather seeks to develop financial and logistical partnerships. If approved, such a venture would give the US a commercial foothold in a region where China’s influence has expanded significantly in recent years.
The Financial Times reported last week that advisers to Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had approached US officials with a proposal to build and operate the port. It appears of a piece with Pakistan’s pitch to the Trump administration to facilitate access to Pakistan’s critical minerals, and US President Donald Trump’s boasts about the prospect of resource developments in the country.
Pasni sits in the province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, and between the Strait of Hormuz, Central Asia, and the Balochistan mineral belt. Whoever controls this coastline will influence energy, trade, and data routes of the next decade.
ANU Map with ports of Pasni and Chabahar added
So far, no official statement has been released from the US State Department, White House or Pakistan’s army and foreign ministry regarding the FT report. In September, a new chapter quietly opened in Pakistan-US economic relations. Missouri-based US Strategic Metals (USSM) signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation, the army’s engineering arm, to explore cooperation in mineral refining and exports. During a recent visit to Karachi and Gwadar, USSM executives also discussed the prospect of developing a deep-sea port at Pasni, a naturally sheltered coastal site that could be connected by rail to the Reko Diq copper-gold belt in Balochistan. The idea, they noted, “made a lot of sense” for facilitating mineral exports at a time when Washington is seeking alternatives to Chinese supply chains. Pakistan subsequently shipped its first small consignment of critical minerals including copper, antimony, and neodymium to USSM, underscoring the geo-economics and strategic diversification themes in Pakistan’s foreign policy.
The proposal shows that Pakistan is willing to pivot from security dependence to economic diplomacy.
The Pasni port development plan offers the United States something it lost decades ago – an important foothold near China’s flank, minus the baggage of military basing. Reports suggest its estimated cost is $1.2 billion, to be funded through a mix of Pakistani federal money and US development finance, with the aim of exporting critical minerals including copper, antimony, and neodymium, essential for EVs, batteries and defence tech.
If Gwadar is considered China’s Belt and Road hub, Pasni port will be Washington’s mineral gateway. But the proximity of both ports could define the next major rivalry on the Arabian Sea.
More than that, the proposal shows that Pakistan is willing to pivot from security dependence to economic diplomacy. While India has framed the region through the “Indo-Pacific” lens with the United States, Pakistan just countered with a “Mineral Corridor” idea as a way for Washington to hedge its bets and diversify beyond Delhi.
The Pasni proposal also sends a message to Beijing; Islamabad isn’t abandoning China, only balancing its relations. The port lies outside the Gwadar concession, meaning Pakistan can cooperate with the United States without crossing red lines and balancing its ties with both states.
But the opportunity is not without risk for Pakistan. Any formal move could strain its careful balance between Washington and Beijing. Yet it also highlights Islamabad’s urgent need for foreign investment and economic revival under IMF-backed reforms. While Pakistan continues to face security challenges along its eastern and western borders, projects like Pasni signal a broader ambition to turn geography into leverage and connectivity into strategy.
About the author
Saima Afzal
Saima Afzal is a researcher specialising in South Asian security, counterterrorism, and broader geopolitical dynamics across the Middle East, Afghanistan, and the Indo-Pacific.
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