Pakistan rejects media report on offering port to US in Balochistan

Pakistan is not offering a naval base to the United States in Balochistan and reports circulating in foreign media pointing to such possibilities in future involving public-private partnerships are nothing but proposals, senior security sources informed a select group of media persons, according to a report.

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These sources emphasised that Pakistan's coastline holds vast potential for large and small commercial ports, adding that countries around the world assess such partnership proposals. In this context, Pakistan's national interest would be given priority.

A high-level source said that it is not important for us what constitutes the United States' interest. "The only thing that matters for us is what benefits Pakistan."

He was responding to a question about a recent report published in the Financial Times (FT) claiming that "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 British newspaper also claimed to have "seen a plan" of the proposal.

According to the British newspaper, the plan, envisaging American investors building and operating a terminal to access Pakistan's critical minerals in the town of Pasni -a port town in Gwadar District in the province that borders Afghanistan and Iran, was floated with some US officials.