Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will meet President Donald Trump on Wednesday (today) during his official visit to the United States.
The lunch meeting between Trump and Munir is scheduled to take place at 10 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time at the White House Cabinet Room, according to the president’s daily public schedule. It comes amidst mounting regional tensions triggered by Israel’s aggression against Iran. The visit also holds significance as Islamabad maintains—to denials by Delhi—that Trump brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and India during their recent conflict following an attack in Pahalgam, India-held Kashmir.
Since the ceasefire, both Islamabad and New Delhi have launched diplomatic overtures to present their stance on the recent clashes and secure global support for their respective narratives. A delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari recently visited Washington and met various senior U.S. officials in this regard.
Analysts expect the meeting between the field marshal and U.S. president to also discuss terrorism, which remains a key area of cooperation between the two states. Earlier this year, Trump praised Pakistan for apprehending and extraditing a Daesh terrorist linked to the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 American service members as well as around 170 Afghans during Washington’s exit from Kabul in 2021.
During his visit, the Army chief has also met overseas Pakistanis. Lauding the diaspora’s contributions to the country’s economy through remittances and investments, he reiterated Pakistan’s rejection of any role in the Pahalgam attack, maintaining it was mere pretext for cross-border aggression.
“We would rather embrace martyrdom than accept this dishonor [of allowing violation of our international borders],” he said of India’s attack. He also made clear Pakistan stood with Iran in its conflict against Israel, adding Islamabad supported all de-escalation efforts.