On September 26, US President Donald Trump welcomed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir to the White House to enhance bilateral ties between the two nations. This meeting marked the first formal interaction between Trump and Sharif, occurring six years after former prime minister Imran Khan last met Trump in July 2019.
During a press interaction, Trump praised the Pakistani leaders, stating, “In fact, we have a great leader coming, the prime minister of Pakistan coming, and the field marshal (of) Pakistan. Field marshal is a very great guy and so is the prime minister, both.”
The meeting took place in the Oval Office, with Vice President J D Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in attendance. According to a statement from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the meeting was productive and held in a “pleasant atmosphere.”
The scheduled time for the meeting was 4:30 pm local time but was delayed by 30 minutes due to Trump’s prior engagements. It lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes, during which both leaders shared various views and strategies. Photos taken post-meeting showed a smiling Trump with his trademark thumbs-up, alongside Sharif and Munir.
Sharif had previously met Trump in New York during the UN General Assembly session. This meeting was part of a broader multilateral session involving leaders from multiple nations, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Trump’s administration viewed this as an opportunity to revive and strengthen ties with Pakistan.
According to Radio Pakistan, the discussions aimed to address mutual interests and analyze regional and global situations impacting both countries. Sharif’s arrival at the White House at 4:52 pm brought him in the company of senior US officials, and his motorcade exited around 6:18 pm.
In a post-meeting press conference, Trump reiterated his belief in having a significant impact on global peace. He stated, “I have stopped seven wars,” a claim he also made in front of world leaders at UNGA.
Pakistan has nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis. Since announcing a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan via social media, Trump has frequently claimed credit for mediating the tensions. However, Indian officials have stressed that the understanding stemmed from direct communications between their military operations heads.
Sharif’s engagement with Trump marked the first White House visit by a Pakistani prime minister since Imran Khan in 2019, whereas Nawaz Sharif, Sharif’s brother, visited in 2015. Historically, Pakistan and the US shared a mutual alliance during the Cold War, primarily united against the USSR in Afghanistan and later in combating militancy.
However, relationships soured over differing policies towards the Afghan Taliban, exacerbated by accusations of Pakistan’s ties to militant groups. The situation reached a tipping point following the US mission that resulted in Osama bin Laden’s death in Pakistan in 2011.
Recent developments include a new trade agreement, establishing a 19% tariff on Pakistani imports. This agreement shows potential for growth as US goods and services trade with Pakistan reached an estimated USD 10.1 billion in 2024, demonstrating a 6.3% increase from 2023.
The US’ total goods trade with Pakistan also showed significant figures, representing about USD 7.2 billion in 2024. Exports from the US to Pakistan amounted to USD 2.1 billion, growing by 3.3% compared to 2023. Additionally, imports from Pakistan totalled USD 5.1 billion, which marked a 4.8% increase over the previous year. Notably, the US goods trade deficit with Pakistan rose to USD 3 billion, an increase of 5.9% from the prior year.
As US-Pakistan ties look to evolve, these initial dialogues hold promise for future engagements, economic collaborations, and strategic partnerships.
