Islamabad: Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir held wide-ranging discussions on counter-terrorism efforts, rising tensions in the Middle East and enhancement of bilateral trade during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, the Pakistani military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated on Thursday.
The meeting took place at a time when Munir’s visit to the US has been overshadowed by widespread protests led by members of the Pakistani diaspora and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Reports suggest that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff also took part in the meeting. From the Pakistani side, Munir was accompanied by the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik.
According to the ISPR, the meeting, initially scheduled for one hour, extended for over two hours, “underscoring the depth and cordiality of the dialogue”.
The discussions, it said, also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
“President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests. Munir acknowledged President Trump’s statesmanship and his ability to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges faced by the global community,” ISPR stated.
While Munir’s visit is being projected as a step towards strengthening military and strategic ties with Washington, the recent backlash from overseas Pakistanis turned his stay at the luxury hotel in Washington into a scene of charged demonstrations.
Protesters chanted slogans accusing Munir of human rights violations, branding him as “Pakistanio ke qatil” and “Islamabad ke qatil” — meaning “killer of Pakistanis” and “killers of Islamabad”, respectively.
A video widely circulated on social media showed one protester yelling, “Geedad, geedad, geedad (jackal, jackal, jackal)”, a derogatory term used to suggest cowardice and deceit.
The clip quickly went viral and was described by analysts as a public embarrassment for the Pakistani military establishment.
Pakistani-Americans demonstrating outside the hotel stated that their goal was to remind General Munir of the crimes he is allegedly responsible for against the people of Pakistan.
This is Munir’s first official US trip since the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre.
(IANS)
