‘Great leader…’: Donald Trump lauds Shehbaz Sharif as he meets Pakistan PM, army chief Asim Munir

US President Donald Trump met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House, the latest sign of improving ties between the two nations. Shehbaz Sharif is in the US for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and will address the General Debate from the UNGA podium on Friday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, and General Asim Munir wait for their meeting with President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office at the White House, on Thursday, in Washington. (AP)

Donald Trump signed several executive orders and was speaking to reporters when Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir arrived at the White House. In his remarks to reporters after signing the executive orders, Donald Trump again claimed that he has stopped seven wars.

“In fact, we have a great leader coming, the prime minister of Pakistan coming, and the field marshal (of) Pakistan. Field marshal is a very great guy, and so is the prime minister, both. And they are coming, and they may be in this room right now, I don’t know, because we are late, and I said maybe they would like to join. They actually may be somewhere in the beautiful Oval Office,” news agency PTI quoted Trump as saying before the meeting.

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Sharif made a brief visit to the US capital from New York for the meeting with Trump on Thursday, the Pakistani PM’s first visit to the White House.

Asim Munir, who was hosted by Trump for lunch at the White House early this summer, accompanied Sharif for the meeting, which was also attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Sharif met Trump in New York on the margins of the UNGA session on Tuesday when the US president held a multilateral meeting with leaders from Arab nations and others, including Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

Sharif arrived at the White House around 4.52pm and was greeted by senior administration officials. The Pakistani PM’s motorcade was seen leaving the White House around 6.18 pm, according to the White House pool, PTI reported.

It came as relations between the US and Pakistan have been easing in recent months following years of tensions.

The US halted military aid to Pakistan in 2018 following its exit from Afghanistan, and relations further sank over Washington’s drone strike programme and its closer ties with arch-rival India.

Under the Biden administration, relations between Pakistan and the US reached a new low, with virtually no high-level engagement between the two countries, former Pakistani ambassador to US Maleeha Lodhi told Bloomberg from Islamabad

The official visit “reflects Washington’s significantly changed attitude towards Pakistan,” she said. “With Trump, a reset of ties is underway, as he seems to acknowledge Pakistan’s geostrategic importance in the region as well as in the Middle East.”

Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, widely seen as the nation’s most powerful leader, has visited the US twice since June, including for a private lunch at the White House hosted by Trump. The Pakistan Army wields the final word on critical matters from foreign policy to internal politics and the economy.

Pakistan’s leaders have repeatedly praised Trump for his actions during its conflict with India in May, crediting Trump with brokering a ceasefire, which India has denied. Islamabad later announced its decision to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The US and Pakistan have also been in talks to finalise details of a trade deal that will include investment commitments by Washington. Islamabad has already secured a tariff rate of 19 per cent on its US exports, a lower rate than other nations in South Asia and well below India’s 50 per cent levy.

In announcing the trade deal in July, Trump said the US would work with Pakistan on developing “their massive oil reserves,” adding that the US was in the process of choosing an oil company to lead the partnership.

Trump and Sharif met briefly on Tuesday when the US President and Emir of Qatar hosted a meeting of Arab Islamic Leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly Session in New York. Sharif met former President Joe Biden at the UN’s annual summit in 2022.

(With inputs from Bloomberg, PTI)