US-Pakistan relations on the upswing as Trump hosts Shehbaz Sharif

September 25, 2025 (MLN): U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, marking a significant step in strengthening U.S.-Pakistan relations after years of strained ties.

The meeting, confirmed by Trump’s official White House schedule, comes while Sharif is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80th Session).

This will be the first time the Pakistani premier has been formally hosted at the White House since assuming office last year.

Relations between Washington and Islamabad had soured after the U.S. halted military aid to Pakistan in 2018 following its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Disagreements over America’s drone strike program and growing defense cooperation with India further strained ties.

However, under Trump’s second term, the two nations have moved toward rapprochement.

Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir has made two high profile visits to the U.S. since June, including a private lunch with Trump at the White House emphasizing the military’s central role in Pakistan’s foreign policy and internal affairs.

Pakistani officials have publicly lauded President Trump for his role in brokering a ceasefire during Pakistan’s armed conflict with India in May. Islamabad even nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize following the truce, though New Delhi rejected claims of U.S. mediation.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss a potential U.S. Pakistan trade and investment deal. Pakistan has already secured a preferential tariff rate of 19% on exports to the U.S., far below India’s 50% rate and lower than other South Asian peers.

In July, Trump announced that Washington would collaborate with Pakistan on developing its “massive oil reserves,” hinting that a U.S. energy company would soon be selected to spearhead the partnership.

Earlier this week, Trump and Sharif briefly interacted during a meeting of Arab Islamic leaders co-hosted by the U.S. and Qatar on the sidelines of the UNGA. Sharif had also met former U.S. President Joe Biden during the UN summit in 2022.

The upcoming White House meeting signals renewed strategic, economic, and defense engagement between the two countries potentially reshaping U.S. Pakistan relations in South Asia.

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