Trump to lunch with Pakistan army chief Munir, PM Modi rejects invitation, Pakistan is worried but good news for India due to…
Trump-Munir meeting: In a major development that could impact the India-US relations, Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will meet US President Donald Trump for lunch at the White House on Wednesday, where Islamabad claims talks will held on the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s conflict with India, along with other pressing matters, including the raging Israel-Iran war.
Munir’s US trip as Trump admin readies to attack Iran
Munir’s meeting with Trump comes at a time when the US is mulling to get involved in Israel-Iran war, and send fighter jets and American troops to aid Israel in taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, especially the hardened Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is built deep underground and cannot be damaged by conventional bunker buster bombs.
In a public address in Washington DC, Asim Munir had declared Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran in its war with Israel while also backing US efforts to de-escalate the situation.
While US readies to attack Iran, Asim Munir as well as the Pakistan’s civilian government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has announced strong support for Tehran in its war against the Jewish state, a situation that presents a major conundrum for Islamabad to balance its ties with Washington.
Its is believed that US could use Pakistani airbases to launch attacks against Iran if it decides to get involved in the Israel-Iran war, and Trump’s meeting with Munir could be meant to sway the Pakistani army chief to change Islamabad’s stance on Tehran.
Experts say that if America jumps into the war against Iran, then Pakistan’s airbase can be used and that is why Trump is giving so much importance to Munir. The Pakistanis themselves are not able to digest the fact that the US President is meeting an Army Chief. Pakistani journalist and analyst Waqas wrote on X, ‘It is surprising that Trump is going to have lunch with the Army Chief of Pakistan. That too when his counterpart is the PM of Pakistan. Meeting a low-level government official is out of protocol but it shows that Trump needs General Munir. Trump is going to talk about Pakistan’s support in the war with Iran.’
Geopolitical have pointed out the significance of Asim Munir being invited to a meeting with the US President at the White House, as it not the norm to host foreign Army chief in the Oval Office.
“Senior US officials often engage with Pakistani Army Chiefs, but rarely is one hosted at the White House by the US President. One of many reasons why Munir’s scheduled meeting with Trump is so significant, especially as his administration considers its options regarding the war in Iran,” South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman wrote on X.
Kugelman noted that the Trump-Munir meeting shouldn’t only be seen through the lens of the Israel-Iran war as the there’s been US-Pakistan engagement on critical minerals, crypto, and Counter Terrorism. “Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these. And Munir is empowered to talk about it all. Also, Kashmir,” he added.
According to Derek J. Grossman, National Security and Indo-Pacific analyst, it was time for India to “speak up”. “India, time to speak up! Trump this week is scheduled to meet at the White House with Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, who New Delhi believes is the terrorist mastermind behind attacks on Indians.”
Good news for India?
While Asim Munir being hosted at the White House is certainly a setback for India’s diplomatic efforts to isolate Pakistan on the global stage, experts note that there may be silver lining for New Delhi as Iran would likely move closer to India if the Pakistan army chief is coerced into changing Islamabad’s stance on the Israel-Iran conflict.
“Trump will meet Asim Munir. There is no doubt he (Trump) will seek cooperation from Pakistan against Iran, which includes providing Pakistani airbases to the US Army. This is a tempting offer for the Pakistani army, but Tehran could move closer to India if Islamabad allows US to attack it from its soil,” West Asia affairs expert Kabir Taneja wrote on X.
PM Modi declined Trump invite
Notably, it has also come to the fore that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday rejected an offer to visit the US after attending the G7 summit in Canada. According to details, Trump, in a 35-minute telephone conversation with Modi, had requested the Indian Prime Minister to visit the US after departing from Canada, presumably to arrange a meeting with Pakistan’s de-facto ruler, Asim Munir and the Indian PM, with the US President acting as mediator.
However, PM Modi turned down the offer, reinforcing India’s stance of not accepting any third-party mediation to resolve its issues with Pakistan
“Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, which took place in Canada. During the conversation, which lasted over half an hour, PM Modi briefed the US President about India’s Operation Sindoor and firmly conveyed the message that India has never accepted and will never accept mediation on the issues with Pakistan,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed..
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