Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is scheduled to meet former US President Donald Trump over a private lunch at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting is listed in Trump’s official schedule and will take place at 1 PM (Washington time) in the Cabinet Room, with no press access permitted.
Munir’s five-day US visit, which began Sunday, is focused on reinforcing strategic ties between Pakistan and the United States. He is also expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to reports.
Though his trip coincides with the 250th anniversary of the US Army (June 14), US officials clarified that Munir was not invited to attend the Army Day parade, calling previous claims “false.”
The visit comes shortly after a major military flare-up between India and Pakistan in May, during which India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Trump has publicly claimed that his administration’s trade threats played a key role in de-escalating the crisis — a claim India has rejected, saying the ceasefire was negotiated directly with Pakistan.
Munir’s Washington trip has also drawn strong protests from the Pakistani diaspora, particularly supporters of former PM Imran Khan, who gathered outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington where Munir is staying. Protesters chanted slogans like “Butcher of Pakistanis” and “Geedad (jackal)” — terms aimed at ridiculing Munir’s role in alleged political repression in Pakistan. The protest was described by analysts as a diplomatic embarrassment for the Pakistan Army, reflecting declining public trust within and outside Pakistan.
While no detailed agenda for Munir's meetings has been disclosed, discussions are expected to focus on:
-
Counterterrorism cooperation
-
Regional stability
-
Military-to-military ties
-
US-Pakistan strategic engagement
In India, concerns remain high. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently accused Munir of having an “extreme religious outlook,” which he linked to the religiously targeted killings in Pahalgam. Jaishankar alleged a direct connection between Munir’s ideological stance and the nature of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror attack, which killed 26 people, primarily targeted based on religion.
The meeting between Trump and Munir is being closely watched across the region, as it comes amid wider geopolitical tensions, particularly the Israel-Iran conflict, and ongoing recalibrations in US foreign policy toward South Asia.
