US President Donald Trump met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House on Thursday, marking a significant step in improving bilateral relations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the meeting, which followed a recent trade agreement between the two nations.
Before the talks, Trump praised the visiting leaders as “great leaders” and said he looked forward to strengthening ties. “Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the Prime Minister,” Trump told reporters.
Sharif arrived at the White House at 4:52 pm and was greeted by senior US officials. His motorcade was seen leaving at 6:18 pm. Some reports suggested the Pakistani leaders waited nearly an hour for the meeting, though this claim could not be independently verified.
Trade and Minerals Deal
The meeting follows a major trade deal signed earlier this month, under which the US will impose a 19% tariff on Pakistani imports while helping develop Pakistan’s oil reserves. A US company is investing $500 million in Pakistan’s critical minerals and rare earth sector. This move aligns with Trump’s July pledge to support Pakistan in tapping its “massive oil reserves.”
In 2024, US goods and services trade with Pakistan reached USD 10.1 billion, a 6.3% rise from 2023. The US recorded a goods trade deficit of USD 3 billion, up nearly 6% from the previous year.
Strategic Context
Washington’s renewed engagement with Islamabad comes after years of strained ties, particularly after the discovery of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Trump had previously accused Islamabad of giving the US “nothing but lies and deceit.”
However, the US now appears to be re-engaging Pakistan as a strategic partner, partly due to tensions in South Asia. Munir has been hosted at the White House three times in recent months, signaling the importance Washington attaches to military cooperation.
The last Pakistani prime minister to visit the White House was Imran Khan in 2019. The current thaw is also attributed to Islamabad crediting Trump with mediating a ceasefire with India earlier this year — a claim New Delhi has repeatedly denied. Pakistan has even nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his “decisive diplomatic intervention” during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.
