PAKISTAN reportedly floated a $1.2 billion plan for a deep-sea port at Pasni to export critical minerals from Balochistan. Though unconfirmed, the idea appears to have been discussed with US firms, including Missouri-based US Strategic Metals, which recently signed an MoU with the FWO on mineral refining and exports. With the government courting the Trump administration via “strategic resource diplomacy,” some official interest is plausible. But the proposal demands rigorous scrutiny.
The commercial case for another deep-sea port in Balochistan is, at best, tenuous. While both Pasni and Gwadar possess the natural depth required for large cargo vessels, this natural advantage is offset by their peripheral location, weak
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