New York/Islamabad: Two “very smart” leaders of India and Pakistan decided to end last month’s conflict that could have turned into a nuclear war, US President Donald Trump said after holding a rare luncheon meeting with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in White House.
Trump’s comments on Wednesday crediting the leaders of the two countries in ending the May 7-10 hostilities are seen at variance with his claims over a dozen times in the last few weeks that he brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire deal.
In his remarks to the media, Trump said he was “honoured” to meet Munir and that he discussed with the military chief the situation arising out of the Iran-Israel conflict, amid speculations that Washington is looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Tehran.
The US president was also effusive in lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and referred to his telephonic conversation with the Indian leader on Tuesday night.
President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a “mutually beneficial” trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests, the Pakistan army said in a statement.
The US president was accompanied at the meeting by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Munir was joined in by Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Lt Gen Asim Malik, who is also head of the spy agency, ISI.
It was clear from Trump’s media comments that the last month’s conflict between India and Pakistan as well as the situation arising out of the Iran-Israel standoff figured prominently in his meeting with Munir.
“The reason I had him here, I want to thank him for not going into the war; ending the war. And I want to thank, as you know, Prime Minister Modi,” the president said.
“We’re working on a trade deal with India. We’re working on a trade deal with Pakistan.” The US president also recalled his meeting with PM Modi in the White House in February.
‘That could have been a nuclear war’
Trump said he was “happy” that “two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war.” “That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that (to end the conflict),” he said.
Hours before hosting Munir, Trump claimed credit for ending the conflict, but he did not repeat it in his media remarks after the meeting.
In his phone conversation with Trump on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi told the president that India and Pakistan halted their military actions following direct talks between the two militaries without any mediation by the US.
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.
Asked if Iran was discussed in his meeting with Munir, Trump said: “Well, they know Iran very well, better than most, and they’re not happy about anything.” “It’s not that they’re bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they probably, maybe they know Iran better, but they see what’s going on, and he agreed with me.” In Islamabad, the Pakistan army said the US President showed “keen interest” in developing a mutually beneficial trade relationship with Pakistan on the basis of long-term strategic interests.
It said the discussions encompassed avenues for expanding cooperation in multiple domains including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
The Chief of Army Staff “conveyed the deep appreciation of the government and people of Pakistan for President Trump’s constructive and result-oriented role in facilitating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India in the recent regional crisis”, it said.
The COAS acknowledged President Trump’s “statesmanship” and his ability to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges faced by the global community.
President Trump, in turn, lauded Pakistan’s ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability, and appreciated the robust counter-terrorism cooperation between the two states, it said.
The Army said the two sides also had a detailed exchange of views on the prevailing tensions between Iran and Israel, with both leaders emphasizing the importance of resolution of the conflict.
Munir also extended an invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at a mutually convenient date.
It is rare for the US president to host a lunch for a army chief of a foreign country. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites.
But they were holding the post of president as well.
