- This man was extremely influential in stopping India-Pakistan fighting from Pakistan side, the US president tells media
- Trump once again claims credit for Pakistan-India ceasefire despite PM Modi’s denial
- US president says, “We’re in talks with Pakistan on a trade agreement
WASHINGTON, DC: United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he was “honoured” to host Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at a luncheon for talks at the White House in what is being described as a “significant and unanticipated diplomatic development.”
Speaking to the media after the event on Thursday, Trump extended his gratitude to Asim Munir for visiting and acknowledged the army chief’s role in helping avert further military escalation in the region.
“It is an honour for me to meet Asim Munir,” Trump said. “I invited him to thank him for not going to war. He deserves appreciation for helping secure the ceasefire.”
The lunch is being seen in Islamabad as a major diplomatic win, particularly because earlier this month, an Indian delegation met US Vice President JD Vance and Indian media depicted it as a diplomatic success, contrasting it with the apparent inability of the Pakistani delegation to secure a similar meeting. Gen Munir’s invitation to the White House is now being projected by officials in Islamabad as a diplomatic counterpoint to those narratives.
🚨فیلڈ مارشل سید عاصم منیر امریکی صدر ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کے ظہرانے میں شرکت کیلئے وائٹ ہاوس پہنچ گئے.
— Mahii (@Mahii_Baloch1) June 18, 2025
Questioned by reporters on the White House lawn about the diplomatic outcomes expected from the upcoming meeting with Field Marshal Munir, Trump remarked, “This man was extremely influential in stopping it (India-Pakistan fighting) from the Pakistan side.”
“Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers,” the US president said. “We’re in talks with Pakistan on a trade agreement. The leadership of both nations is truly remarkable.”
The meeting between Field Marshal Asim Munir and Donald Trump was held in the White House Cabinet Room over lunch.
Trump also once again claimed credit for the Pakistan-India ceasefire despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintaining in a conversation with him late on Tuesday that the breakthrough was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation.
Addressing the development, the PPP chairman said, “Today, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir will meet with Donald Trump over lunch, a positive step in Pakistan-US relations. Especially given the president’s role in mediating a ceasefire.
Today, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will meet with @realDonaldTrump over lunch, a positive step in Pakistan US relations. Especially given the president’s role in mediating a ceasefire.
Following Pakistan’s decisive victory in the recent five-day…
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) June 18, 2025
“Following Pakistan’s decisive victory in the recent five-day war, India has regrettably resisted all efforts toward a permanent peace, including US-led diplomacy.”
He said Pakistan neither sought conflict nor was it “desperate for dialogue.” However, Bilawal said Pakistan recognized that peace was in the interest of both nations.
“There is no military solution to our disputes. India’s weaponization of water, repression in Kashmir, and politicization of terrorism are unsustainable positions. The path forward lies in honest diplomacy—not denial.”
Meanwhile, Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, emphasized that the meeting should not be seen only in the context of the Iran-Israel conflict.
“There’s been US-Pak engagement on critical minerals, crypto, counterterrorism. Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these. And Munir is empowered to talk about it all. Also, Kashmir.”
FWIW the scheduled Trump-Munir meet shouldn’t only be seen through the lens of the Israel-Iran war. There’s been US-Pak engagement on critical minerals, crypto, CT. Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these. And Munir is empowered to talk about it all.
Also, Kashmir.— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) June 18, 2025
Field Marshal Munir, who was elevated to Pakistan’s rare five-star rank last month—the first such promotion since Ayub Khan in 1959—has made headlines during his trip, urging India to engage with Pakistan “as a civilized nation,” rather than attempting to impose regional hegemony.
Speaking to members of the Pakistani American community on Monday evening, he strongly rejected Indian claims that Pakistan was behind the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, calling it a pretext for cross-border aggression. He accused India of seeking to establish a dangerous “new normal” of violating international borders, which Pakistan had forcefully rejected. “We would rather embrace martyrdom than accept this dishonour,” he said.
The interaction at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington’s Georgetown neighbourhood drew a large and enthusiastic crowd, with supporters showering the army chief with rose petals and chanting slogans in his praise. Protesters aligned with the opposition PTI party demonstrated outside, calling for democratic reforms and the release of jailed leaders, but their voices were largely drowned out inside the venue.
In his remarks, Munir also addressed the broader regional landscape, declaring Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran in its war with Israel while also backing US efforts to de-escalate the situation. “We want this war to end immediately,” he said.
During his interaction with the diaspora community, Gen Munir emphasised Pakistan’s gratitude for the role overseas Pakistanis play in bolstering the national economy. He dismissed concerns over brain drain, describing it instead as a “brain gain.”
He avoided discussing domestic politics directly, and when one attendee attempted to criticise former prime minister Imran Khan, Munir discouraged it. When another guest jokingly suggested that political opponents might need their “software fixed,” the general responded that democratic societies must protect the right to dissent.
One of the most consequential developments during Munir’s visit, however, has been Pakistan’s strengthened counterterrorism partnership with the US—particularly against the militant Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) group.
On Tuesday, Gen Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, described Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in the fight against IS-K, praising Islamabad’s operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Gen Kurilla revealed to the House Armed Services Committee that Pakistani operations, supported by US intelligence, had killed dozens of IS-K militants and captured multiple high-value individuals, including Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the masterminds of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American troops.
“The first person Munir called was me,” Gen Kurilla said. “He said, ‘I’ve caught him—ready to extradite him back to the US. Please tell the secretary of defense and the president’.” Sharifullah was promptly extradited.
Last week in a testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kurilla noted that Pakistan had conducted “dozens of operations” to dismantle IS-K’s presence in the border regions and continues to play a pivotal role in countering terrorism in Central and South Asia.
