Pakistan asks US to build port on Arabian Sea, India on alert?

Guwahati: Pakistan has offered US President Donald Trump to run a port on the Arabian Sea.

The move comes in the wake of Islamabad cosying up to America amid a reset in ties, as per a report in the Financial Times.

The port will bein Pasni, a town in Balochistan's Gwadar district, placing it strategically close to the Chabahar port being developed by India in Iran.

The report added that advisers to Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have approached top US officials with the offer, valued at up to $1.2 billion.

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The offer comes days after the Pakistani army chief, along with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, held a closed-door meeting with Trump at the White House in September.

In a discussion,  Sharif asked for investment from US companies in mining and energy sectors.

Munir also gave Trump a glimpse of Pakistan's mineral wealth during the visit.

Munir's aggression, came as a US metals company signed a $500 million deal with Pakistan to explore strategic minerals jointly in Pakistan for use in defence and technology.

It is yet to be heard if Munir discussed the port deal offer with Trump.

The blueprint, writes off "the use of the port for US military purposes or setting up of a military base. What Pakistan wants is the US to finance a rail network connecting the Pasni port to mineral-rich western province," India Today reports.

Islamabad has attempted to convince the US by stating that Pasni's proximity to Iran and Central Asia would enhance America's options for trade. It would also expand US influence in the Arabian Sea and Central Asia.

Pakistan is also in possession of the Gwadar port, funded by China.

Pasni is just 100 km from Gwadar, where China operates the port facility.

India will also be keeping a firm eye on the development as the proposed port lies just 300 km from Chabahar, where it is developing the Shahid Beheshti terminal.

The Chabahar port will help India bypass Pakistan and access Afghanistan and Central Asia. In 2024, India and Iran signed a 10-year deal to develop and manage the terminal.