Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir will again visit the United States– nearly two months after US President Donald Trump hosted him at the White House. According to the sources of Pakistani Media, Dawn, Munir is expected in the US this week for consultations with his American counterparts. It wasn’t clear whether the Pakistani Army chief would meet Trump or not. As per the media report, Munir will attend the farewell of United States Central Command Commander (CENTCOM) General Michael Kurilla. He had previously termed Pakistan a “phenomenal partner” in counter-terrorism during his visit to Islamabad.
There was no official word on the visit from Inter-Services Public Relations or Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, but during his previous visit, the army chief had hinted that he expected to return to the US again later in the year.
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When Trump hosted Asim Munir At White House
Earlier in June this year, in a rare gesture, Trump hosted Munir at the White House, weeks after India and Pakistan were locked in a four-day military conflict. It was a rare incident for the US president to host a lunch for an army chief of a foreign country. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites. But they were holding the post of president as well.
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Soon after Munir’s visit, the White House’s invitation to the Pakistani Army chief was being projected by officials in Islamabad as a major diplomatic win, according to the Dawn newspaper.
The visit was also seen as part of Trump’s agenda to cement his persistent claims that he brokered the ceasefire deal between India and Pakistan.
India-Pakistan tensions
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
(With inputs from agency)