US President Donald Trump will host a private lunch with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House cabinet room today. The meeting is the first such meeting between an US President and the Pakistani Army Chief in 15 years. Although the official agenda has not been made public, it is believed that the discussion will include regional security, anti-terrorism cooperation, Indo-Pak tension, and Iran-Israel War.
Munir, who arrived in Washington on Sunday on a five-day official visit, recently expressed Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran, as well as supporting the US D-Sscaleation attempts. The meeting is important in the context of Indo-Pak tension after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May. India connected Munir’s “fierce religious approach” to the attack, which Pakistan rejected.
Experts believe that Trump seeks airspace, military bases and intelligence cooperation from Pakistan for potential American actions against Iran. In addition, stability in Kashmir and South Asia can also be discussed. In India, the Congress termed the meeting as a “diplomatic blow”, while the BJP described it as part of American mediation for regional peace.
During Munir’s visit, Imran Khan’s supporters demonstrated outside Washington’s Four Seasons Hotel, protesting him by calling him “dictator” and “killer”. The meeting indicates strengthening America-Pakistan relations amid growing stress in the Middle East and South Asia, but it can become a matter of diplomatic concern for India.
