Washington, DC — US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office in Washington early Friday morning.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. US Vice President JD Vance and Sretary of State Marco Rubio were also in attendance.
Photos released after the meeting showed President Trump engaging warmly with both Pakistani leaders, flashing his trademark thumbs-up sign during a group photo. Trump had earlier told reporters that “a great leader” was coming to the White House, referring to both the prime minister and the army chief as “great guys.”
The meeting, originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Washington time (1:30 a.m. PST), was delayed by about 30 minutes as Trump spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. Lasting nearly one hour and 20 minutes, the closed-door talks marked the first formal bilateral interaction between Trump and Shehbaz.
White House press pool photos taken before the meeting showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting in the Oval Office, with the army chief briefly conversing with staffers as media crews wrapped up. Secretary of State Rubio was later seen greeting the Pakistani delegation enthusiastically.
Radio Pakistan reported that discussions covered matters of mutual interest, as well as regional and global issues. The engagement comes six years after former premier Imran Khan’s Oval Office meeting with Trump in July 2019.
The visit coincided with PM Shehbaz’s trip to the US for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. During his stay, the prime minister also attended a Muslim bloc summit and met leaders of international financial institutions. He is scheduled to deliver his UNGA address later Friday.
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