{"id":21926,"date":"2025-10-04T18:04:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T18:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=21926"},"modified":"2025-10-04T18:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T18:04:08","slug":"new-port-idea-never-officially-discussed-security-official","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=21926","title":{"rendered":"New port idea never officially discussed: security official"},"content":{"rendered":"
RAWALPINDI. A senior security official has said that Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir does not have any advisers in an official capacity.<\/p>\n

The statement came a day after the British daily newspaper Financial Times (FT) referred to so-called \u201cadvisers to army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir\u201d in a report on a proposed port along the Arabian Sea.<\/p>\n

The official stated that \u201cconversations or proposals by private individuals or commercial entities are exploratory and should not be construed as state initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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According to the FT report, the plan envisions American investors building and operating a terminal in Pasni, Balochistan, designed to facilitate access to Pakistan\u2019s critical mineral resources.<\/p>\n

The security official explained that a concept of port on southern coast also surfaced in private discussions with Mota Engil Group. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FT report follows a high-level meeting in September, during which Field Marshal Munir accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the White House for talks with US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

During the meeting, the prime minister invited American companies to invest in Pakistan\u2019s agriculture, technology, mining, and energy sectors.<\/p>\n

According to the FT report, the port proposal was floated with some US officials and was shared with Field Marshal Munir ahead of the White House meeting.<\/p>\n

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The blueprint excludes the use of the port for US military purposes and instead aims to attract development finance for a rail network linking the proposed terminal to mineral-rich western provinces, the report added.<\/p>\n

The security official said, \u201cThe [FT] piece acknowledges it is not official policy, yet implies a link to the army chief \u2014 which is not accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Security sources have said Pakistan\u2019s foreign relations, counterterrorism strategy, and mineral development policies are all anchored in protecting the state\u2019s national interest, dismissing speculation about shifts in longstanding positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cInternational relations and bilateral ties between states depend on mutual national interest,\u201d the sources said, adding that \u201cPakistan conducts its relations with other countries and world powers while safeguarding the interests of the state and its people. Every decision is made in Pakistan\u2019s interest and will continue to be so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing Pakistan\u2019s coastal development potential, the security sources noted that \u201cthere is considerable potential for small and large commercial ports along Pakistan\u2019s coastline.\u201d<\/p>\n

They added that countries routinely assess such partnership opportunities and that \u201cin this context Pakistan\u2019s interests will be given priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read:\u00a0‘Not the plan we endorsed’ says Dar as he defends Pakistan\u2019s Gaza stance<\/p>\n

On plans to develop the country\u2019s minerals and mining sector, the security sources said the effort will require \u201cstrategic patience and substantial investment.\u201d \u201cPakistan will explore its deposits with the participation of various countries, companies and investors,\u201d they said. \u201cChina, the United States, Saudi Arabia, or any country that is willing to participate \u2014 Pakistan will enter partnerships according to its national interests and ground realities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sources described the Financial Times article on a proposed port as essentially outlining a public-private partnership. \u201cThe article published in the Financial Times is actually based on a proposal for a public-private partnership,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Responding to questions about recognising Israel in relation to a Gaza peace deal, the security sources were unequivocal: \u201cThere has been no change in the previous policy on recognising Israel. Israel is not being recognised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPakistan has not accepted Israel, nor is there any thinking in that direction,\u201d they said, stressing that \u201cnothing can be discussed until a just and permanent solution for Palestine is achieved and the oppressed Palestinians receive their full rights, consistent with Pakistan\u2019s official position.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sources said Pakistan\u2019s immediate focus \u201cis to stop the ethnic cleansing and killing, and to ensure relief reaches the oppressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to security and counterterrorism, the sources warned that \u201cthe links between certain political elements, terrorists and criminal actors remain the biggest obstacle in the fight against terrorism.\u201d They said security forces had \u201cto a large extent broken the smuggling-terrorism nexus through effective strategy,\u201d but added that \u201ccomplete elimination will require full and sincere implementation of the National Action Plan, with all stakeholders and every arm of the state doing its part.\u201d<\/p>\n

With additional input from Reuters<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RAWALPINDI. A senior security official has said that Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir does not have any advisers in an official capacity. The statement came a day after the British daily newspaper Financial Times (FT) referred to so-called \u201cadvisers to army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir\u201d in a report on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21926\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}