Saturday, March 29, 2025
Washington: September 26, 2025
US President Donald Trump met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the White House. Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was also present at the meeting. During the meeting, Trump called Munir, who had suffered a crushing defeat to India during Operation Sindoor, a “great man,” making the Pakistani Army Chief a laughingstock worldwide. While Shahbaz Sharif praised Trump extensively during the meeting, he did not abandon his habit of spreading propaganda. He credited Trump with the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and called the US President a “man of peace.”
Following the Pahalgam attack, India conducted several airstrikes against Pakistan as part of Operation Sindoor. Tensions between the two countries peaked in the first week of May. A ceasefire was announced four days later, but by then, India had inflicted significant damage on Pakistan. US President Trump repeatedly took credit for the ceasefire, claiming he had stopped the fighting, while India clarified that the ceasefire was initiated after DGMO-level talks between India and Pakistan and no third country was involved.
A Pakistani statement released after the meeting with Trump said, “Sharif expressed his deep appreciation for President Trump and described him as a man of peace who is making sincere efforts to end conflicts around the world.” The statement added that the two leaders discussed regional security, including counter-terrorism cooperation. According to a statement from Sharif’s office, “The Pakistan-US partnership will be further strengthened for the mutual benefit of both countries.” Trump, who had hosted Munir for lunch at the White House in June, said at an event, “The Field Marshal is a very good man and the Prime Minister too, both are very good.”
In pictures posted by the Pakistani government on Twitter, Trump can be seen smiling and giving a thumbs-up to Sharif. The Pakistani leader is in the US for the United Nations General Assembly, and this was his first formal, face-to-face meeting with Trump since he took office last year. Pakistani leaders have repeatedly praised Trump’s role during the May conflict with India, crediting him with mediating the ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India has consistently denied that the US helped broker the ceasefire, while Islamabad has stated it will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Earlier, Trump and Sharif also met briefly on Tuesday when the US President and the Emir of Qatar hosted a meeting of Arab and Islamic leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
