Days after Trump-Munir luncheon, Pakistan Air Force chief visits US
Pakistan seems to have made another attempt to boost its defence cooperation with the US, with Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu’s official visit to the country. This is the first visit by a serving Pak Air Force chief in decades, making it an important step for Pakistan to step up military engagements.
Portraits of Shehbaz Sharif, Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf (3L), Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir (C), Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber (3R) and Chief Minister of the country’s Punjab province Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Lahore(AFP File photo)
Sidhu’s visit to the US comes just days after Pakistan’s previous big attempt at improving defence ties with the US — a visit by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Munir’s visit had come just weeks after the India-Pakistan conflict and he was also hosted by US President Donald Trump at a private luncheon.
New military avenues for Pak, US?
As the Pakistan Air Force announced its Chief of the Air Staff’s visit to the US, it also called it a “strategic milestone” for the defence partnership with the US.
In the US, the Pak air chief met US Air Force Chief of Staff General David W Elon and US Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Kelly L Seybolt.
Both countries have reportedly agreed on “new avenues” for bilateral military cooperation. According to news agency PTI, the discussions included plans to establish high-level military ties, enhance collaboration on mutual interests, and expand joint training and technology exchange.
Sidhu also met some prominent members of the US Congress, including Mike Turner, Rich McCormick, and Bill Heizenga.
Talking about the Pak air chief’s engagements in the US, the PAF said, “This historic visit not only reaffirmed the PAF’s commitment to promoting regional and global peace, but also laid the foundation for institutional cooperation, strategic dialogue, and joint operations between the PAF and the US Air Force.”
Asim Munir’s US visit
Days before the Pakistan Chief of Air Staff, Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the US, a move that was seen as critical as it came just days after Trump claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
According to Geo News, Munir had a private lunch with Trump at the White House, though the specifics of their conversation remain undisclosed. Such a meeting is highly uncommon, as US presidents rarely host foreign military leaders at the White House.
Trump had also praised Munir for his role in “preventing the escalation of tensions” between India and Pakistan.
Even as Trump has claimed time and again that he was behind the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, New Delhi has always denied this claim, saying the truce was reached through bilateral talks between the DGsMO of India and Pakistan.
(With PTI inputs)
