By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in the Oval Office on Friday morning, marking the first formal bilateral engagement between the leaders and signalling a gradual warming in US-Pakistan relations during Trump’s second term.
US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the session, which took place in a pleasant atmosphere, according to a statement from Sharif’s office. Photos released afterwards captured Sharif and Munir exchanging views with Trump, who flashed his signature thumbs-up during a group shot, all smiles.
The meeting, closed to the press, was originally set for 4:30 p.m. Washington time Thursday, 1:30 a.m. Friday in Pakistan, but started about 30 minutes late as Trump addressed reporters after signing executive orders. It lasted roughly one hour and 20 minutes.
Press pool photos taken beforehand showed Sharif and Munir seated patiently on the Oval Office’s ornate gold-gilded furniture while Trump wrapped up his previous meeting across the room. Munir chatted with White House staff as media crews packed up. Rubio, upon entering, greeted the Pakistani delegation with evident warmth. Rubio, upon entering, greeted the Pakistani delegation with evident warmth.
The encounter represents the first formal bilateral exchange between Trump and Sharif, coming six years after Trump’s 2019 Oval Office meeting with then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. This encounter follows a solo White House visit by Munir earlier this year — the first time a U.S. president hosted Pakistan’s military chief without senior civilian officials.
Before the session, Trump spoke to reporters about his guests. “We’ve got the prime minister of Pakistan coming and the field marshal … [he’s] a great, great guy and so is the prime minister, both,” he said. The President noted the delay. “They are coming and they may be in this room right now. I don’t know because we are late.”
The closed-door format deviated from Trump’s typical approach; he often invites select cameras and reporters into Oval Office meetings for photo opportunities. Radio Pakistan had reported that the discussions were expected to cover matters of mutual interest, along with the regional and global situation.
Sharif’s visit aligns with his participation in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. His itinerary has included UNGA proceedings, a multilateral summit of Muslim nations, and sideline talks with leaders of international financial bodies. He is set to address the General Assembly on Friday before heading back to New York.
In a New York media briefing earlier this week, a senior State Department official described U.S.-Pakistan ties as “gradually warming up” under the Trump administration, according to the Dawn newspaper. For years, Washington has positioned India as a counter to China’s expanding influence in Asia, while viewing Pakistan as a close Beijing ally. But since Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, relations with India have strained over visa restrictions for Indians, hefty tariffs on Indian imports, and Trump’s assertions that he personally mediated a May ceasefire between India and Pakistan after border clashes.
The official stressed that U.S. engagement with Pakistan stands independently. “We have an independent relationship with Pakistan,” he said, pointing to recent American investments of hundreds of millions in Pakistan’s mineral sector and ongoing interest in petroleum exploration. Asked about a recent Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence deal, the official said Washington is still reviewing it.
On July 31, the US and Pakistan sealed a trade agreement imposing a 19 percent tariff on Pakistani goods. Trump has not yet finalised a comparable pact with India.
Analysts say New Delhi, facing US tensions, is recalibrating its relations with China as a hedge.
“We’re working through a number of issues when it comes to counterterrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties,” the State Department official said of Pakistan. “And so the president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, that includes through engaging with Pakistan and their government leaders.”
Regarding India, the official noted that Trump favours candour about frustrations but views the relationship as robust. Washington continues to regard New Delhi as “a good friend and partner” whose U.S. ties will “define the 21st century.”
Islamabad has publicly endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in easing India-Pakistan tensions, even while condemning Israeli bombardments in Gaza, Qatar and Iran. On Tuesday, Sharif joined Trump and leaders from several Muslim-majority countries to discuss Israel’s assault on Gaza and U.S. peace proposals on the UNGA sidelines.
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