Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to Attend CENTCOM Change of Command in Second Washington Trip
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is scheduled to visit the United States this week to participate in the CENTCOM change of command ceremony. This visit marks his second trip to Washington in under two months.
Munir's earlier visit on June 18 included an unusual lunch meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, where no senior Pakistani civilian officials were present. This meeting occurred shortly after India initiated Operation Sindoor, which dismantled nine terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists. The operation was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
During the June meeting, discussions between Trump and Munir covered topics such as trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency. President Trump commended Munir for his efforts to prevent further conflict between India and Pakistan following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes in May. Trump suggested that Munir deserved a Nobel Prize nomination for his role in "averting nuclear war." However, India maintains that the May 10 ceasefire resulted from direct talks at the DGMO level with Islamabad, without any foreign intervention.
Subsequently, the United States announced a trade agreement with Islamabad, which allows American companies to access Pakistan's oil reserves. In conjunction, President Trump signed an executive order to reduce tariffs on Pakistani goods from 29 percent to 19 percent.
