Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir walked into the White House on Thursday expecting a show of power and prestige. What they got instead was a long wait ‘somewhere’ at the Oval Office, vague compliments from a distracted American president, and a meeting that did not even qualify as an official state visit.
US President Donald Trump kept the pair waiting for more than 30 minutes before finally receiving them. Ahead of the meeting he told journalists that “they may even be in this room right now” and called Munir a “great guy” and Sharif a “great leader” without mentioning either of their names. For a country that still imagines itself as a key US partner, it was a moment of humiliation.
The meeting – touted as a diplomatic victory back in Islamabad – had several moments which painted a picture of a country treated like a pawn rather than a partner.
A waiting game in the White House
Nothing symbolises diplomatic pecking order better than who waits for whom. When Sharif and Munir arrived at the White House, the official photographs released by the press pool showed the two men sitting stiffly as Trump finished his other engagements. In diplomacy, the optics matter as much as the substance. Keeping guests waiting sends a message. Trump’s message was clear: Pakistan is not a priority.
The contrast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 2024 visit to Washington could not be sharper. Modi was received by senior administration officials on the tarmac, accorded a ceremonial welcome at the White House and given extensive media access. Trump went out of his way to praise India’s leadership and call the relationship “one of the strongest partnerships of our century.” No Indian delegation had to wait awkwardly in the corridor.
Forgettable names, forgettable status
Not just the wait, even Trump’s words before the meeting were telling. “We have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the Field Marshal. Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the Prime Minister, both, and they’re coming, and they may even be in this room right now, I don’t know….. they may be somewhere in the beautiful Oval Office.”
He did not mention Sharif or Munir by name. Was it a slip of memory or a deliberate slight? Either way, the effect was the same: it made Pakistan’s top leadership look like faceless functionaries rather than global statesmen.
Compare that with Trump’s previous interactions with Modi. At the 2019 “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston, Trump – in his first presidential term – stood shoulder to shoulder with the Indian leader before a crowd of 50,000 Indian Americans and called him “America’s friend.” The White House actively promoted the event as a landmark in US-India relations. In February this year, Modi’s name was on Trump’s lips in every press interaction. The difference is not accidental. It reflects how Washington sees the two countries.
Not a state visit, not a statement of respect
Sharif and Munir’s meeting with Trump did not qualify as an official state visit. There was no ceremonial arrival, no joint address, no state dinner, and no formal protocol. The White House described it as a high-level bilateral engagement, a bland phrase that masks the absence of prestige. For a country that still advertises itself as a strategic player in the Muslim world and a nuclear-armed state, it was a come-down.
By contrast, Modi’s February visit ticked every ceremonial box. It was his second high-profile welcome at the White House after the Houston rally and followed a pattern of US presidents investing in the personal rapport with India’s leader. The optics of such visits are carefully choreographed to signal status and respect. Pakistan got none of that choreography.
Treated like a pawn, not partner
The irony is that Trump clearly sees Pakistan as useful. His administration has been leaning on Islamabad to help with post-war planning in Gaza, to serve as a bridge to Gulf Arab opinion, and even to explore logistical cooperation over Afghanistan. Pakistan also remains a conduit for Saudi military ties and a potential source of minerals. But usefulness is not the same as respect. In Washington’s eyes, Pakistan is a pawn on the Middle Eastern chessboard, a country to be leveraged, not a partner to be honoured.
This is the price of Islamabad’s long-running strategy of playing multiple sides at once. By trying to position itself as indispensable to the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, and Turkey simultaneously, Pakistan has reduced itself to a middleman with few friends and even less leverage. Trump’s behaviour last week was a public demonstration of that reality.
India’s different trajectory
India’s experience with Trump shows how a country can command respect rather than beg for it. Despite occasional differences on trade, New Delhi has built a reputation in Washington as a stable partner with a large market, a growing economy, and a shared strategic interest in balancing China. Modi’s government does not have to dangle access to minerals or offer backroom intelligence deals to get a meeting. It walks into the White House as an equal stakeholder.
The symbolism of Trump’s treatment of Modi is therefore not just about personal chemistry. It reflects the broader shift in US priorities. India is seen as a cornerstone of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, a democratic counterweight to China, and a partner that can be trusted. Pakistan, by contrast, is seen as a country perpetually on the brink of crisis, propped up by foreign aid and prone to double-dealing.
Islamabad plays ostrich
Back home, the Sharif-Munir duo tried to present the Oval Office meeting as a diplomatic success. But the images of them waiting, the president’s vague compliments and the absence of state-visit protocol told a different story. Trump’s own history underscores this point. He once called Pakistan “a terrorist safe haven” that had “deceived the United States.” His sudden warmth now may be transactional, a temporary courtesy extended to extract concessions. It is not a mark of admiration or trust.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
