Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Asim Munir to meet Trump next week? Here's what we know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Asim Munir to meet Trump next week? Here's what we know")
US President Donald Trump and Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif Photograph: (Reuters)
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Munir may meet US President Trump at the UNGA. Munir's US visits and nuclear threats against India sparked criticism. Amid tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty, the US denied favouring Pakistan, reaffirming balanced ties with both India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir are likely to meet United States President Donald Trump at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to Pakistani media reports on Tuesday (Sep 16). Soon after Operation Sindoor in May, Munir accompanied Sharif in his state visits to several countries and held a luncheon with Trump at the White House. In what may be called Pakistan's attempt to cosy up with the US, this is Munir's third visit to the US in three months. Local media reports suggest that Pakistan-US talks will include India-Pakistan ties, the devastating floods in Pakistan, and fallout from an Israeli strike on Qatar. The interaction was reportedly facilitated with consultation and backing from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Neither the White House nor the Pakistani government has officially confirmed the upcoming meeting.
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Munir's US visit
During Munir's US visit in August, he issued a nuclear threat against India, which was condemned by New Delhi. The Indian government also expressed its disappointment because the threat was issued from the soil of a ‘friendly nation’, the US. Munir also went on to rant over India's action on the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack, saying that his country will obliterate any dam that New Delhi builds on the Indus waters. Around the same time, Pakistan PM Sharif issued another threat against India, saying that "a lesson will be taught" to the "enemy" if they continue to stop the Indus waters. Former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also joined the bandwagon, and stated that if India continues with its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, then Pakistanis "won't bow and they will confront." These statements were seen as Pakistan's attempt to provoke India while cosying up to America under Trump.
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Meanwhile, the US has been questioned for favouring Pakistan and not India after New Delhi failed to strike a trade deal, and Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff. This also came after Pakistan, reportedly on Munir's insistence, nominated the US President for Nobel Peace Prize. However, to assuage India's concerns, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that America's relationship with both Pakistan and India "remains unchanged – good." When asked whether Munir’s meeting with US President Donald Trump might affect US-India ties or lead to increased arms sales to Pakistan, Bruce dismissed concerns of favouritism, stating the US remains equally engaged with both countries. Recalling past tensions between India and Pakistan in May, Bruce said, “We had an experience with Pakistan and India, when there was a conflict, that could have developed into something quite horrible.There was immediate concern and movement with the Vice President JD Vance, the President Donald Trump, and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio in addressing the nature of what was happening.”
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