Pakistan not offering naval base to US in Balochistan: security sources

Pakistan has dismissed reports suggesting it plans to offer a naval base to the United States in Balochistan, clarifying that discussions mentioned in some foreign media are merely commercial proposals, not official offers.

Quoting senior security sources, an English daily reported that Pakistan’s coastline has immense potential for both major and small-scale commercial ports. They said that while countries frequently evaluate such partnership opportunities, any decision would be guided strictly by Pakistan’s national interest.

A high-level source told the paper, “It is not important for us what constitutes the United States’ interest. The only thing that matters for us is what benefits Pakistan.”

The remarks came in response to a Financial Times report claiming that advisers to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had offered the US an opportunity to build and manage a port on the Arabian Sea. The British publication also said it had “seen a plan” related to the proposal.

According to FT, the idea envisioned US investors constructing and operating a terminal in Pasni, a coastal town in Gwadar district, to gain access to Pakistan’s mineral resources.

A senior security official, however, told FT that “the Chief of the Army Staff does not have any advisers in an official capacity.” He clarified that “conversations or proposals by private individuals or commercial entities are exploratory and should not be construed as state initiatives.”

Also Read: Field Marshal invites US to build port in Balochistan: report

Referring to a separate commercial discussion, the official said that “a concept of a port on the southern coast also surfaced in private exchanges with the Mota Engil Group.” However, he noted that “it has not been submitted through official channels, has not been reviewed at any strategic or governmental level, and remains a commercial idea pending appropriate consideration.”

“The piece acknowledges it is not official policy, yet implies a link to the Army Chief which is not accurate,” the official added.

Security sources explained that the global economic focus has shifted from fossil fuels to minerals and mining, which now drive international investment interests.

They said Pakistan, endowed with rich mineral resources, is looking for strategic partners capable of providing capital and technology to develop this sector. “These partners could be the United States, China, Saudi Arabia or any other country willing to collaborate,” one official said.

“Pakistan’s preference,” he stressed, “would always be a partnership aligned with our own national interests and ground realities.”