US President Trump Hosts Pakistan Army Chief Amid Regional Tensions

Washington, Jun 18 (PTI) US President Donald Trump is set to host Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir for a luncheon at the White House on Wednesday. The presidential advisory released by the White House confirms, “The President has lunch with the Chief of Army Staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” The event is scheduled for 1 pm (local time) in the esteemed Cabinet Room of the White House.

Amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly the Israel-Iran conflict, Trump cut short his visit to Kananaskis, Canada, for the G7 Leaders’ Summit and returned to Washington on Tuesday morning. The White House invitation extended to Munir is being celebrated in Islamabad as a significant diplomatic achievement, according to reports from the Dawn newspaper.

Field Marshal Munir, recently promoted to Pakistan’s distinguished five-star rank—a first since Ayub Khan in 1959— encouraged India to engage with Pakistan as a “civilised nation” rather than pursuing regional dominance during his US trip. Addressing members of the Pakistani American community on Monday evening, Munir dismissed allegations that Pakistan orchestrated the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He accused India of attempting to establish a perilous “new normal” by violating international borders, a stance Pakistan has “forcefully rejected,” as reported by Dawn.

The violent exchanges between India and Pakistan intensified following the Pahalgam terror attack, with India executing precision strikes on terror installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The ensuing military skirmishes lasted four days, concluding after military operations leaders from both nations reached an agreement to cease hostilities on May 10.

Munir’s interaction with the Pakistani American community drew a substantial audience at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington’s Georgetown area, as noted by the paper. However, outside, supporters of Pakistan's opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by former prime minister Imran Khan, staged protests demanding democratic reforms and the liberation of their detained leaders.

Addressing the broader regional dynamics, Munir asserted Pakistan’s firm backing of Iran in its conflict with Israel while additionally supporting US diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions. "We want this war to end immediately," he stated.

An important development during Munir’s visit is the enhanced counterterrorism collaboration between Pakistan and the US, notably against the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), the paper reports. General Michael Kurilla, leading the US Central Command, recently commended Pakistan as an “outstanding partner” in combating ISIS-K, applauding Islamabad's prowess in operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.

In testimonial to the House Armed Services Committee, Gen Kurilla revealed that Pakistani operations, complemented by US intelligence, have successfully eliminated dozens of IS-K operatives and apprehended numerous high-value targets, including Mohammad Sharifullah, a key figure behind the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, which resulted in 13 American military fatalities.

“The first person Munir called was me,” Gen Kurilla remarked. “He said, ‘I’ve caught him—ready to extradite him to the US. Please inform the Secretary of Defence and the President’.” Sharifullah was swiftly extradited. In a separate submission to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kurilla highlighted that Pakistan had carried out “numerous operations” targeting IS-K’s foothold in border regions and continues to be crucial in counterterrorism efforts throughout Central and South Asia.

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