Trump to host Field Marshal Asim Munir Amid post-ceasefire diplomacy

June 18, 2025 (MLN): U.S. President Donald Trump will host Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for a lunch meeting at the White House today, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The meeting, scheduled for 10 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time, is part of Asim Munir’s official visit to Washington to strengthen defense ties and boost cooperation on regional stability.

This visit followed the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Pakistan and India after an 87-hour military standoff in Kashmir. The conflict erupted after an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad.

Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, downing six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales. The escalation resulted in the deaths of 53 people on the Pakistani side.

Trump is reported to have played a key role in brokering the truce signed on May 10 and has since offered to mediate the broader Kashmir dispute.

In Washington, Asim Munir met with members of the Pakistani diaspora, commending their contributions to the country’s economy through remittances and foreign investments.

The army chief’s trip comes as Pakistan ramps up diplomatic efforts to counter India’s narrative on the recent military confrontation.

A separate parliamentary delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is conducting outreach in multiple capitals.

The meeting is also taking place amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, where Israel’s strikes on Tehran triggered direct Iranian retaliation.

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