PM Shehbaz meets Trump, discusses regional security, counterterrorism

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump discussed regional security and cooperation along the lines of counter-terrorism, among other matters, as the two met for the first time at the Oval Office in Washington in the early hours of Friday morning, according to a press release from the PM Office.

The premier was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while the US President was joined by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as per an earlier statement from the PM office.

PM Shehbaz thanked Trump for “his public endorsement of Pakistan’s role in counterterrorism and stressed the need to further enhance cooperation in security and intelligence,” as the two discussed matters of regional security.

The premier described Trump as a “man of peace”, lauding his “sincere” efforts in ending conflicts around the world. PM Shehbaz branded Trump’s style of leadership “bold, courageous and decisive,” and thanked the US president for his role in mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in their four-day military conflict in May.

He helped “avert a major catastrophe in South Asia,” the statement quoted the PM as saying.

“The Prime Minister also extended a warm and cordial invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan, at his convenience,” the PM office said.

On the situation in the Middle East, PM Shehbaz “lauded President Trump’s efforts to bring about an immediate end to the war in Gaza, especially his initiative to invite key leaders of the Muslim world in New York, earlier this week, for a comprehensive exchange of views for restoration of peace in the Middle East, in particular Gaza and the West Bank.”

Thanking Trump for the recent tariff agreement signed with Pakistan, PM Shehbaz hoped that “under President Trump’s leadership, the Pakistan-US partnership would be further strengthened to the mutual benefit of both countries.”

“In this regard, the Prime Minister invited the US Companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, IT, mines and minerals and energy sectors,” the PM Office added.

Photos released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump. Trump was also all smiles as he flashed his signature thumbs up sign during a group photo.

The meeting, which was closed to the press, was originally slated to begin at 4:30pm Washington time (1:30am PST) but was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as the US president spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. The meeting itself lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes.

Photos from the White House press pool before it began showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting patiently on the Oval Office’s gold-gilded furniture as, across the room, the US president wrapped up his previous engagement.

The army chief could also be seen speaking to White House staffers as media personnel packed up their equipment. When US Secretary of State Rubio entered the room, he could be seen enthusiastically greeting both leaders.

The visit, the first formal bilateral interaction between the two leaders, comes six years after former premier Imran Khan met Trump during the latter’s first term in July 2019.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Trump said that a “great leader” was coming to the White House.

“We’ve got the prime minister of Pakistan coming and the field marshal … [he’s] a great, great guy and so is the prime minister, both,” he told reporters.

President Trump was also conscious of the delay, telling the media: “They are coming and they may be in this room right now. I don’t know because we are late.”

The meeting itself, however, was closed to the press — a break from Trump’s usual modus operandi, as he is known for inviting select cameras and reporters into the Oval Office for photo-ops.

Radio Pakistan reported earlier that the two were “expected to discuss matters of mutual interest as well as regional and global situation”.

The development comes as the premier is in the US for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. During his whirlwind tour, PM Shehbaz has attended UNGA sessions, a key multilateral summit of the Muslim bloc, as well as side meetings with the heads of international financial institutions in New York.

The premier will now make his way back to New York, as he is due to address the UN General Assembly on Friday.

PM Shehbaz meets Bangladesh’s Yunus

Prior to the meeting with Trump, PM Shehbaz also met Bangladesh’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, in New York, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.

In this meeting, the premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening “constructive and forward-looking ties” with Bangladesh, rooted in mutual respect, trust and shared aspirations of regional peace and prosperity, the Radio Pakistan report said.

The two leaders reviewed the current state of Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations, discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, it added.

For his part, Yunus appreciated Pakistan’s initiative to deepen engagement and highlighted the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and cultural linkage, it said.