US President Donald Trump is set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today (Thursday), as reflected in the official schedule of president’s daily engagements. The Shehbaz-Trump meeting will take place in the Oval Office at the White House at around 4:30pm local time, shortly after midnight in Pakistan. With no confirmation from the White House about which Pakistani officials will take part in the high-level huddle, there is a possibility that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir will also be a part of the meeting. However, although the security sources have not confirmed the army chief’s attendance. PM Shehbaz, who is currently in New York, is set to depart for Washington this afternoon. Following his meeting with President Trump, PM Shehbaz will return to New York and will address the UNGA session on September 26 (Friday). Although the agenda of the Shehbaz-Trump meeting has not been disclosed by either side, the meeting comes after the US president hosted leaders of key Muslim countries, including the Pakistani premier and leaders from Turkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan to discuss the ongoing Gaza conflict and its end. US-Pakistan ties have warmed in recent months under Trump after Washington had for years viewed Pakistan’s rival India as a counter to China’s influence in Asia. Washington’s relations with New Delhi have been tested under the Republican leader over issues such as visa hurdles for Indians, high tariff rates imposed by Trump on goods from India and Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered an India-Pakistan ceasefire in May after the South Asian neighbours engaged in their latest hostilities. The United States and Pakistan announced a trade deal on July 31 with a 19% tariff rate imposed by Washington. Trump has yet to reach a trade deal with India. Officials and analysts have noted that after tensions with Washington, New Delhi is recalibrating relations with China as a hedge. Trump welcomed army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir earlier this year, the first time a US president hosted the head of Pakistan’s army — widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country — at the White House, unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials. “We’re working through a number of issues when it comes to counter-terrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties,” a senior State Department official told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday when asked about Pakistan. “And so the president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, that includes through engaging with Pakistan and their government leaders,” the official said. The PM Shehbaz’s scheduled huddle with President Trump is to be taken against the backdrop of the Pakistan-India conflict in May, which saw Washington brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after New Delhi launched attacks inside Pakistan — under the pretext of targeting terrorists — which it said were responsible for the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). India’s attacks prompted Pakistan to launch Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos after downing six Indian Air Force fighter jets, including three Rafales, in response to Indian unprovoked aggression. The conflict eventually ended via a US-brokered ceasefire for which Pakistan has credited President Trump while also nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, Islamabad and Washington have been engaged with each other in high-level interactions, between both civil and military leadership and have also finalised a much-hyped trade deal, reflecting improving relations between the two countries.
PM Shehbaz, Trump to meet in Washington today
