Washington (TDI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to sit down with US President Donald Trump on September 25 during the UN General Assembly session in New York.
According to insiders, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will also take part in the meeting, Geo News reported on Tuesday. The interaction, backed by both Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is said to carry a broad agenda, ranging from Pakistan’s recent flood challenges to the fallout of Israel’s strike on Qatar. The state of relations between Pakistan and India is also anticipated to feature in the talks.
Diplomatic officials familiar with the matter suggested that Riyadh and Doha have quietly encouraged the meeting. Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, however, has neither confirmed nor denied the development, the reported added.
The possible engagement comes as Islamabad and Washington gradually move closer again. Ties had been strained in recent years but began to improve after President Trump brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and India earlier this May, ending a sharp escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
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Only this week, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties and broadening cooperation. In July, Dar met Rubio in person and discussed a wide slate of issues, from trade and investment to counterterrorism and regional stability.
Following that engagement, the two governments announced a new trade agreement aimed at reducing tariffs on Pakistani goods, expanding bilateral trade, drawing in investment, and opening the door to cooperation in areas such as energy and resource development. Pakistan has already attracted $500 million in American investment in its critical minerals sector under a fresh deal with United States Strategic Metals.
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The diplomatic momentum has also been shaped by Field Marshal Asim Munir’s frequent trips to Washington this year, including a rare one-on-one meeting with President Trump in June. In August, the army chief returned to attend the retirement ceremony of General Michael E. Kurilla, the outgoing Centcom commander, and the change-of-command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper. During that visit, he also met Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
