Washington: US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Pakistan Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday. Munir is in Washington on an official visit. The meeting between Trump and Munir comes days after the White House denied inviting the latter to the US Army’s 250th anniversary celebrations on June 14.
The Pakistan military leader and the US President will have a have a closed-door lunch, scheduled to take place at 1.00 pm on Wednesday, in the Cabinet Roon in White House, according to the president’s daily public schedule. No media personnel are allowed to attend the meeting.
Munir arrived in Washington on Sunday for a five-day official visit with an aim to reinforce strategic ties with the United States. Besides Trump, the Pakistan Army Chief is also expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on his US trip, according to a report by Pakistan daily Dawn.
Pak army chief’s first US visit since tension with India
Munir’s visit to the US comes nearly a month after the military conflict between India and Pakistan was dangerously escalated following the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians on April 22. The two countries agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire” on May 10 with Trump claiming that it was a result of the US-mediated talks.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said that the “extreme religious outlook” of the Pakistan Army Chief had influenced the Pahalgam terrorists who killed tourists after identifying them by their faith. “…You have to see that on the Pakistani side, especially their Army chief, who is driven by an extreme religious outlook. There is clearly some connection between the views that were expressed and the manner the attack was carried out,” Jaishankar had said.
