New Delhi: Today, U.S. President Donald Trump will host Pakistan Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, at a closed-door lunch at the white house, thus making a senior-level visit under the rising tensions in West Asia.
The consultancy, which is to be held at 1 p.m. in the Cabinet Room, is a follow-up to the arrival of Munir in Washington on Sunday for a five-day visit to fortify U.S.-Pakistan strategic and defence relations. In an earlier report, the White House stressed that Munir was not invited to the 250th anniversary celebrations of the U.S. Army on June 14, where no foreign military leaders were involved. Munir is also scheduled to meet the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in discussions on counterterrorism and security in the region.
The lunch is scheduled for one day after Trump ordered the unconditional surrender of Iran on his Truth Social account, following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel. In a speech delivered in Washington, Munir said that Pakistan would support Iran on the issue and appealed that the issue be solved peacefully, and Pakistan had a strategic position concerning Iran since it shared a border with Iran. This position is opposite to that of Trump, who greatly advocated Israel, and it seems to create questions over the agenda of the meeting.
Munir’s visit has sparked demonstrations by Pakistani-Americans and supporters of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Protesters around Four Seasons Hotel screamed, ‘Let’s see a mass murderer and dictator. Munir has trampled on human rights and destroyed democracy.” Noting that Pakistan has become a military dictatorship in the guise of civilian rule, a statement issued by the Pakistani-American-based PTI USA said, ‘Munirr has made Pakistan a military dictatorship under the guise of civilian rule.’
The tasks of the meeting, taking place during the Israel-Iran conflict and U.S.-mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan, also highlight the geopolitical importance of Pakistan. Despite the controversies on the domestic and international fronts regarding Munir, analysts indicate that the U.S. still looks to have strategic relations with Pakistan to combat the Chinese presence in the region.