Pak Army Chief Asim Munir to Visit US for Military Parade, India Calls It ‘Huge Diplomatic Setback’
Pakistan’s powerful Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is scheduled to visit the United States this week to attend the 250th-anniversary parade of the US Army, according to top sources. The visit, which comes amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, has drawn sharp criticism from India and plans for protests from the Pakistani diaspora.
Following a formal invitation from Washington, Munir is expected to be present at the military parade in the US capital on Saturday, June 14. During his visit, he is also slated to hold high-level meetings with senior officials at the US State Department and the Pentagon. As of now, neither Washington nor Islamabad has officially confirmed the visit.
The invitation comes just days after a top American general lauded Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts. At a congressional hearing, General Michael Kurilla, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” and highlighted its role in operations against ISIS-Khorasan. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman noted the strong rapport between the two military leaders, pointing out that Munir and Gen. Kurilla have met three times in less than two years.
The development has been met with strong disapproval in New Delhi. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the US invitation, terming it “another huge diplomatic setback for India.” In a post on X, he questioned Washington’s intentions, especially after Munir’s “incendiary and provocative language” just before the Pahalgam attack which claimed 26 lives. “What is the US really up to?” Ramesh asked.
India has been on a diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan globally following the terror attack, which prompted the launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’. The Indian government has dispatched all-party delegations to 33 countries and the European Union to rally support for its anti-terror stance.
Munir’s visit is also facing opposition from a section of the Pakistani-American community. Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have announced protests in Washington D.C. during the army chief’s visit.
PTI’s Secretary for Overseas Affairs, Sajjad Burki, urged Pakistani-Americans to gather outside the Pakistan Embassy on June 14. “Let the White House know that any deal with this government is not acceptable to the people of Pakistan,” he tweeted, reflecting the deep political divisions within the diaspora