Trump Holds Talks With Pak PM, Army Chief As Ties Warm Between Washington and Islamabad
US President Donald Trump held closed-door talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir at the White House on Thursday, the latest sign of a significant thaw in relations between Washington and Islamabad . The high-level meeting follows a landmark trade and energy deal signed in July and comes as the Trump administration seeks to realign its strategic partnerships in South Asia .
Before the meeting, Trump praised his visitors as “great leaders.” “We have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Field Marshal. Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the Prime Minister, both,” he told reporters . Sharif was in Washington as part of a delegation of leaders from eight Islamic nations who met with Trump this week to discuss strategies for ending the Israel-Hamas war .
The warming ties between the US and Pakistan are notable given Trump’s previous criticism of the country as a “terrorist safe haven.” The shift appears to be driven by a confluence of factors, including the new trade agreement, which aims to open Pakistan’s largely untapped oil reserves to US investment and lower tariffs on Pakistani exports . Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Asim Munir, has also played a key role, making two recent visits to the US and even nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize .
For India, the US-Pakistan rapprochement is being watched with caution. Trump has repeatedly claimed, including at the UN General Assembly this week, that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April and the subsequent “Operation Sindoor” by Indian forces .
New Delhi has consistently rejected any third-party role in the de-escalation, insisting that the understanding was reached directly between the two militaries . However, the growing economic and strategic alignment between Washington and Islamabad signals a new dynamic in the region, potentially positioning Pakistan as a key US partner and counterweight to India and China
