Pakistan prime minister hails Trump's ‘bold, decisive’ leadership in White House talks

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded US President Donald Trump's "bold and decisive leadership", crediting him for reducing tensions with India and efforts to halt the war in Gaza.

The premier praised the U.S. President as a “man of peace” at the White House alongside Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in a long-anticipated encounter that highlighted warming relations between the two countries.

The talks, closed to reporters, lasted about 90 minutes.

The Pakistani leader praised Trump’s initiative earlier this week to convene Muslim heads of state in New York for consultations on Middle East peace.

“I deeply admire President Trump’s sincere efforts to end conflicts around the globe,” Sharif said, according to a statement from his office.

The two leaders also discussed counterterrorism cooperation and trade.

Sharif thanked Trump for backing Pakistan’s role in fighting extremism and invited American companies to expand investment in agriculture, technology, mining and energy.

He also extended a formal invitation for Trump to visit Pakistan.

Photos released by Pakistani officials showed Trump flashing his trademark thumbs-up while seated in the Oval Office with Sharif and Munir. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also seen speaking with Munir.

The meeting came as Sharif attends the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Sharif’s visit marked the first by a Pakistani prime minister to the White House since Imran Khan in 2019, underscoring a turn in relations after years of strain when Washington leaned toward New Delhi.

The United States and Pakistan recently finalized a trade deal reducing U.S. tariffs on Pakistani goods to 19%.

Munir’s prominent role in the talks signaled the Pakistani military’s continuing influence in foreign policy. Trump hosted the army chief at the White House earlier this year, an unprecedented move by an American president.