In a rare and high-profile development, US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting came days after a tense four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan, sparked by the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor.
While details of the conversation remain undisclosed, the meeting is being framed by Pakistani officials as a “significant diplomatic achievement.” It also marked the first time since 1959 that a Pakistani officer bearing the title of Field Marshal—a rank Munir was recently promoted to—visited the White House.
Prior to the meeting, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly confirmed that Trump had agreed to host Munir after the latter advocated for Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination, citing his role in defusing what could have escalated into a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan.
According to reports from Geo News and Dawn, Munir credited Trump with helping to broker the May 10 ceasefire that ended intense missile and drone exchanges between the two South Asian neighbors.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. The Indian Air Force targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-administered regions. After four days of escalating cross-border strikes, both sides agreed to halt operations.
India maintains that its decisive military action compelled Pakistan to seek a ceasefire, while Pakistan has portrayed its diplomatic outreach as a show of restraint and maturity.
