Trump holds talks with Pakistan PM, army chief amid Islamabad’s push for reset with US

Trump meets Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Munir to reset ties and boost cooperation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met US President Donald J. Trump at the White House on Thursday, in a high-level engagement aimed at resetting bilateral ties and expanding cooperation on security, trade and regional stability.

This was Sharif’s first meeting with Trump since his return to power and marked the rare joint appearance of Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership before a US president. The talks followed an earlier one-on-one White House lunch between Trump and Munir, underscoring shifting dynamics in the region, especially Washington’s strained relations with New Delhi.

Sharif described the Oval Office discussions as “warm and cordial”, expressing confidence they would open a “new phase” in Pakistan-US relations. He invited US companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, IT, minerals, and energy sectors.

The meeting also highlighted Pakistan’s growing role in regional diplomacy. Sharif praised Trump as a “man of peace”, crediting his leadership in helping broker a ceasefire with India in May, which Islamabad said prevented a major crisis in South Asia.

Security and counterterrorism cooperation were central to the talks, with Sharif thanking Trump for supporting Pakistan’s role and calling for deeper intelligence-sharing. Meanwhile, the US and Pakistan have recently finalized a landmark trade deal, allowing Washington to develop Pakistan’s untapped oil reserves and offering tariff relief for Islamabad.

Relations between Trump and Indian PM Narendra Modi have cooled, particularly over India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil, leading Washington to impose higher tariffs on New Delhi. Analysts view Pakistan’s outreach as a move to position itself as a stronger regional player amid shifting alliances.

However, Islamabad did part ways with Trump over recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them a “serious violation of international law”.