In a surprising diplomatic turn, President Donald Trump is set to host Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for a private lunch at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting, to be held in the Cabinet Room and closed to the press, is being hailed in Islamabad as a major foreign policy achievement.
The invitation comes just weeks after Indian officials met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, an event widely celebrated in Indian media. Munir’s White House visit is now being framed by Pakistani officials as a counter-narrative — a strategic diplomatic win in South Asia’s competitive geopolitical arena.
This development follows last month’s dangerous military escalation between Pakistan and India, which briefly pushed the region toward the brink of nuclear conflict. Munir, recently elevated to the rare five-star rank not seen since Ayub Khan, is on a five-day official tour of the U.S., where he has made headlines for urging India to pursue peaceful coexistence rather than regional dominance.
Addressing the Pakistani-American community in Washington, Munir denounced Indian claims linking Pakistan to the recent Pahalgam attack, calling them a pretext for aggression. He warned against India’s attempts to normalize violations of international borders and reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to resist such pressure.
Beyond rhetoric, Munir’s visit has yielded real strategic outcomes. U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism operations, particularly against Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K). He revealed that Pakistan’s military, with U.S. intelligence support, had captured and extradited high-value IS-K figures, including a mastermind behind the deadly Abbey Gate bombing.
Munir also voiced support for a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict, while expressing solidarity with Iran — a position balancing regional alliances and American strategic interests.
Though avoiding domestic political commentary, Munir called for unity, respect for dissent, and economic resilience. The Trump-Munir interaction now marks a renewed chapter in U.S.-Pakistan relations, rooted in security cooperation, regional diplomacy, and evolving geopolitical realities.
