US President Donald Trump met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in the Oval Office on Thursday, in a closed-door session not open to the press, according to India Today.
The meeting, which was also attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes as both sides look to discuss bilateral ties, trade, regional security, and wider global issues.
Sharif arrived at the White House on Thursday evening, entering via the West Executive Avenue entrance at 4:52 p.m., where he was welcomed by senior administration officials. He was joined by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Munir, for the visit.
For the 74-year-old prime minister, this is the first time a Pakistani leader has stepped into the Oval Office since Imran Khan’s visit in July 2019.
The Washington stopover, lasting less than 24 hours, was added to Sharif’s five-day US trip built around the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Earlier this week, he addressed the UN Climate Summit and is scheduled to deliver his formal speech to the General Assembly on Friday.
However, the two earlier met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with their interaction lasting just 36 seconds.
The informal exchange happened after a meeting between the US President and leaders of eight Islamic-Arab countries, which also included Pakistan.
Speaking about the meeting, a senior State Department official said that the US and Pakistan are working through several issues, such as counter-terrorism as well as trade ties.
"And so the president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, that includes through engaging with Pakistan and their government leaders," the official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
While signing an executive order on Friday approving a deal involving the popular video-sharing app TikTok, US President Donald Trump highlighted the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a Field Marshal to the White House, describing them as “great leaders.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “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 be in this room right now.”
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