Pak PM and Army chief meet Prez Trump at White House; discuss regional security, other issues

New York/Islamabad, Sep 26 (PTI) US President Donald Trump met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir at the White House, where they discussed regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation and other issues.

Shehbaz, the first Pakistani prime minister to visit the White House in six years, described Trump as a "man of peace" for his "sincere efforts" to end conflicts around the globe and lauded his “courageous and decisive" leadership in facilitating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India, according to a statement from the PM Office.

In July 2019, then-prime minister Imran Khan travelled to Washington and met President Trump, who had accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving the US while receiving billions in aid. Trump had previously said Pakistan offers a "safe haven" to terrorists.

Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, had completely ignored Pakistan during his tenure and never even talked to any of the prime ministers on the phone, let alone inviting them to the White House.

However, since President Trump took office in January for a second term, there has been a dramatic and unexpected shift in the Pakistan-US relationship. In June, Trump held a rare one-on-one meeting with Army chief Munir at the White House.

According to the statement from PM Office, Shehbaz "appreciated President Trump's bold, courageous and decisive leadership that had facilitated the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, thereby helping to avert a major catastrophe in South Asia." Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim nearly 50 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries.

While discussing the situation in West Asia, Shehbaz lauded Trump's initiative to invite key leaders of the Muslim world this week for a comprehensive exchange of views for the restoration of peace in the region, in particular, Gaza and the West Bank.

He also thanked President Trump for the tariff arrangement that was concluded between Pakistan and the United States earlier this year, the statement said.

While fondly recalling the longstanding partnership between the two countries, the Prime Minister expressed the confidence that under President Trump's leadership, the Pakistan-US partnership would be further strengthened to the mutual benefit of both countries, it said.

He invited American companies to invest in Pakistan's agriculture, IT, mines and minerals and energy sectors, the statement added.

It said the two leaders also discussed regional security, including counter-terrorism cooperation. The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his public endorsement of Pakistan's role in counter-terrorism and stressed the need to further enhance cooperation in security and intelligence.

He also extended a warm and cordial invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his convenience.

The meeting came as the bilateral ties showed a marked improvement after several years of a tenuous relationship. It was held in a "pleasant atmosphere" at the Oval Office in Washington, DC, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present.

Further details of the exchange were not shared, but Trump told the media before the meeting that a “great leader” was coming to the White House.

"In fact, we have a great leader coming, the prime minister of Pakistan coming, and the Field Marshal (of) Pakistan. Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the prime minister, both. And they're coming,” Trump said.

The meeting continued for approximately one hour and 20 minutes. It was also the second meeting between Field Marshal Munir and Trump since June.

Post-meeting photos showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump, who flashed his signature thumbs-up sign during a group photo.

Sharif met Trump in New York on the margins of the UNGA session on Tuesday when the US president held a multilateral meeting with leaders from the Arab and Muslim world.

Historically, Pakistan and the US were Cold War allies and for years worked together in defeating the USSR in Afghanistan and later on fighting together against militancy.

But their polices diverged with respect to the Afghan Taliban, and the US felt betrayed due to Pakistan's alleged ties to the militants. The tipping point was reached when the US, in a secret operation, killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. The trust and relationship never recovered from the blow until recently, when Trump met with Army Chief Munir in June.

The two countries have reached a trade agreement that entails a 19 per cent tariff on Pakistani imports and will allow Washington to help develop Pakistan's oil reserves. The US goods and services trade with Pakistan totalled an estimated USD 10.1 billion in 2024, up 6.3 per cent (USD 523.0 million) from 2023.

The US' total goods trade (exports plus imports) with Pakistan was an estimated USD 7.2 billion in 2024. US goods exports to Pakistan in 2024 were USD 2.1 billion, up 3.3 per cent (USD 67.2 million) from 2023.

The US goods imports from Pakistan in 2024 totalled USD 5.1 billion, up 4.8 per cent (USD 233.9 million) from 2023. The US goods trade deficit with Pakistan was USD 3 billion in 2024, a 5.9 per cent increase (USD 166.7 million) from 2023. PTI SH/YAS GSP ZH ZH