Asim Munir's dilemma: Pakistan army chief's 'strategic' US visit takes a 'tense' turn

Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir

Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir is in United States on a so-called strategic visit following the military escalation with India in May.

Earlier, reports had suggested that Munir was invited to the US military parade in Washington DC on Saturday. However, the White House later denied these reports, saying that no foreign military leaders were invited to the ceremony.

Nonetheless, the visit warrants close attention as Pakistan has been making overtures to US following last month’s conflict with India which nearly pushed the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of a full-scale war.

However, as Munir seeks an audience in US, hoping for words of support from American generals, the Iran-Israel conflict has thrown a spanner in the works.

Islamabad has expressed strong support for Tehran after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in pre-emptive strikes on Friday. Pakistan leaders are urging Muslim nations to unite and condemn Israel for its action against Iran, which has now escalated into a serious conflict.

In fact, a top Iranian general was quoted as saying that Pakistan has vowed to drop nuclear bombs on Israel if Jerusalem takes a similar route against Tehran.

And therein lies Munir's dilemma.

Though US has denied sanctioning the Israeli strikes, it continues to be Tel Aviv's closest ally in the conflict with Iran. On Sunday, President Donald Trump said that US stands behind Israel in the conflict. He had earlier threatened Tehran with dire consequences if US was attacked in any way.

Thus, Pakistan's brotherhood obligation to Iran will present some tense moments for Munir during his visit to Washington.

Michael Kugelman, a US-based South Asia analyst, told Dawn that the crisis in the Middle East could limit the US engagement with the Pakistani delegation.

“Pakistan wants to cultivate US support but has condemned the Israeli strikes and is working to strengthen ties with Tehran. For Gen Munir to be in the capital of Israel’s closest ally and Iran’s primary adversary at such a tense moment could lead to some uncomfortable conversations," he was quoted as saying.

Kugelman said that the broader efforts by Pakistan to reboot its security ties with US will remain a "hard sell".

Another issue that is likely to dominate Munir's visit is a major backlash from pro-Imran Khan supporters in US who have been mounting an all-out attack on the Pakistani army chief in the days leading up to his visit.

The PTI members have deployed digital vans in Washington with ads targeting Munir, labelling him "Butcher of Islamabad" and "Fraud Marshal".