Pakistan PM, Trump hold first White House meeting as ties warm

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in a long-awaited encounter that underscored improving ties between Washington and Islamabad.

The talks were closed to the press and lasted about one hour and 20 minutes, according to officials.

Photos released afterward showed Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who accompanied the premier, seated with Trump in the Oval Office. Trump flashed his trademark thumbs-up in a group photo.

The meeting, set for 4:30 p.m. Washington time, began about 30 minutes late as Trump spoke to reporters after signing executive orders.

White House press pool photos before the meeting showed Sharif and Munir waiting on the Oval Office’s gold-trimmed chairs while the president finished his earlier engagement. Munir was also seen chatting and laughing with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as journalists packed up their equipment.

The visit came six years after former Prime Minister Imran Khan last met Trump at the White House in July 2019.

Sharif arrived earlier in the day at Andrews Airbase with a Pakistani delegation and Munir. He was welcomed with a red carpet reception by senior U.S. Air Force officials before leaving in a tightly guarded motorcade, according to state-run PTV.

Radio Pakistan reported that the two leaders were “expected to discuss matters of mutual interest as well as regional and global situation.” The White House confirmed the meeting but kept it off-limits to reporters, a shift from Trump’s usual practice of inviting cameras for Oval Office greetings.

The meeting took place as Sharif attends the 80th UN General Assembly session in New York. He has already joined a summit of Muslim leaders and met heads of international financial institutions. He is scheduled to return to New York to address the UN on Friday.

The discussions signaled a warming of relations between the two countries. Just weeks earlier, the United States and Pakistan finalized a trade deal that cut U.S. tariffs on Pakistani goods to 19 percent.

Munir’s presence highlighted the Pakistani military’s role in shaping foreign policy. Earlier this year, Trump received the army chief at the White House without civilian officials – a first for a U.S. president.

Bilateral ties have improved under Trump after years of strain when Washington leaned closer to India. That partnership has since soured over tariffs, visa restrictions and Trump’s claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire in May.

Pakistan has even endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in easing regional tensions, though it has also criticized U.S. ally Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Sharif’s Washington visit followed his participation in Trump’s meeting with select Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Middle East peace efforts were discussed.