US President Trump to host Pak Army Chief Munir for lunch

Washington, Jun 18 (PTI) US President Donald Trump will host Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday, weeks after India and Pakistan were locked in a four-day military conflict.

Trump would be hosting the Pakistan Army Chief for lunch in the Cabinet Room of the White House at 1 pm, an official advisory released by Washington said.

The US president had cut short his trip to Canada's Kananaskis for the G7 Leaders’ Summit and returned to Washington Tuesday morning amid escalating tensions in the Middle East with the latest Israel-Iran conflict.

Interestingly, Trump, during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked him if he could stop in the US on his way back from Canada.

But, the prime minister expressed his inability to do so "due to pre-scheduled engagements," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

In the phone talks, Modi told Trump that India and Pakistan halted their military actions last month following direct talks between the two militaries without any mediation by the US.

Modi also firmly stated that India does not and will "never accept" mediation and that the discussions between Indian and Pakistani militaries on cessation of military actions were initiated at Islamabad's request Misri said.

The prime minister's assertion came against the backdrop of Trump's persistent claims that he brokered the ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan.

The invitation to Munir is being seen as a rare gesture extended by Washington to a serving Pakistani Army chief. There have been precedents of Pakistani Army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites, but they were holding the post of president as well.

The White House's invitation to Munir is being projected by officials in Islamabad as a major diplomatic win, according to the Dawn newspaper.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

New Delhi has been maintaining that India's fierce counter-attack that day forced Pakistan to plead for ending the hostilities.

Last month, Munir was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal in the first such promotion since Ayub Khan in 1959.

In an address to the Pakistani-American community on Monday evening, Munir urged India to engage with Pakistan "as a civilised nation" rather than "attempting to impose regional hegemony", the Dawn reported.

The Pakistan Army Chief also rejected allegations that Pakistan was behind the Pahalgam terror attack.

Munir accused India of seeking to establish a “new normal” of "violating international borders", which he said Pakistan had "forcefully rejected", according to the newspaper.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.

The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.

Munir's interaction with the Pakistani American community at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington’s Georgetown neighbourhood drew some crowds, the Dawn said.

However, protesters aligned with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of former prime minister Imran Khan demonstrated outside, calling for democratic reforms and the release of their jailed leaders.

Munir also addressed the broader regional landscape, declaring Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran in its war with Israel while also backing US efforts to de-escalate the situation.

“We want this war to end immediately,” he said.

One of the most consequential developments during Munir’s visit, however, has been Pakistan’s strengthened counterterrorism partnership with the United States, particularly against the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) group, the paper said.

Gen Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, recently described Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in the fight against ISIS-K, praising Islamabad’s operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Gen Kurilla revealed to the House Armed Services Committee that Pakistani operations, supported by US intelligence, had killed dozens of IS-K militants and captured multiple high-value individuals, including Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the masterminds of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American troops.

“The first person Munir called was me,” Gen Kurilla said.

“He said, ‘I’ve caught him — ready to extradite him back to the US. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President'.” Sharifullah was promptly extradited.

In a separate statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kurilla noted that Pakistan had conducted “dozens of operations” to dismantle IS-K’s presence in the border regions and continues to play a pivotal role in countering terrorism in Central and South Asia. PTI YAS/SH MPB ZH ZH