Overview

• Financial Times reported that advisers to Army Chief Asim Munir circulated a blueprint for American investors to build and operate a civilian terminal at Pasni to access Pakistan’s critical minerals.
• Pakistani security and military officials say there has been no official offer or policy decision, describing any talks with private firms as exploratory and stressing that port security would remain under Pakistan’s control.
• A senior Trump administration official stated the idea has not been presented to the president or his advisers for discussion.
• The plan cited an estimated cost of about $1.2 billion, with a proposed mix of Pakistani federal funds and U.S.-backed development finance, and it rules out any U.S. military basing.
• One U.S. company, US Strategic Metals, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan’s military engineering corps, as Islamabad courts investment after September White House meetings and positions Pasni as a counterweight to nearby China-backed Gwadar.