Trump Set To Host Pak Army Chief Asim Munir For Lunch, Call His Role ‘Instrumental’ In De-escalation With India

<p>US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, for a luncheon at the White House on Wednesday. This high-level meeting, set to take place in the Cabinet Room at 1 pm, follows closely on the heels of a recent military flare-up between India and Pakistan and rising instability in the Middle East.</p>
<p>The development was confirmed through an official advisory released from Washington, news agency PTI reported. According to Dawn, the invitation has been hailed by Pakistani officials as a significant diplomatic milestone, particularly given that it is rare for a serving Pakistan Army chief to be invited to such an event. Historically, only Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf received similar treatment while also holding presidential office.</p>
<p>Speaking to reporters in Washington ahead of the lunch with Asim Munir, the US president said, &ldquo;I stopped the war between India and Pakistan. I love Pakistan, and Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night, and we will make a trade deal with Modi of India.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Trump credited General Munir as playing a key role in calming the situation from the Pakistani side, while mentioning PM Modi’s role on behalf of India. &ldquo;This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistani side, and PM Modi from the Indian side,&rdquo; Trump said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They were going at it, and both are nuclear countries,&rdquo; Trump added. &ldquo;I stopped a war between two major nations,&rdquo; he reiterated.</p>
<p>Trump had cut short his visit to Canada&rsquo;s Kananaskis, where the G7 Leaders&rsquo; Summit was underway, to return to Washington on Tuesday morning amid escalating tensions involving Israel and Iran.</p>
<h3><strong>India does not and will never accept mediation: PM Modi to Trump</strong></h3>
<p>According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Trump had called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his return and enquired if Modi could make a stopover in the US on his way back. However, the prime minister declined, citing prior commitments.</p>
<p>During the conversation, Modi informed Trump that the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was the result of direct military-level discussions, not external mediation. &ldquo;India does not and will never accept mediation,&rdquo; Misri quoted Modi as saying. He clarified that the talks between the two militaries had been initiated at Islamabad&rsquo;s request.</p>
<p>This comes in contrast to Trump&rsquo;s earlier assertions that he played a mediatory role in the ceasefire.</p>
<h3><strong>Munir&rsquo;s Washington Visit Amid Post-Conflict Optics</strong></h3>
<p>General Munir&rsquo;s visit to the US follows a four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack. India had launched <a title=”Operation Sindoor” href=”https://news.abplive.com/topic/operation-sindoor” data-type=”interlinkingkeywords”>Operation Sindoor</a> on 7 May, targeting terror camps across the Line of Control. The clashes concluded on 10 May after the Directors General of Military Operations from both countries agreed to halt military actions.</p>
<p>New Delhi maintains that Pakistan sought an end to hostilities after India&rsquo;s retaliatory offensive. Munir, meanwhile, has denied any Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam incident and accused India of trying to enforce a &ldquo;new normal&rdquo; by breaching international borders. &ldquo;Pakistan had forcefully rejected&rdquo; this notion, he was quoted as saying by Dawn.</p>
<p>A key outcome of Munir&rsquo;s US visit has been the strengthening of counterterrorism cooperation between Washington and Islamabad, as per news agency PTI.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>During an interaction with the Pakistani-American community at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington&rsquo;s Georgetown, Munir called on India to engage &ldquo;as a civilised nation&rdquo; rather than pursuing regional dominance, Dawn reported. The event also saw protests by supporters of <a title=”Imran Khan” href=”https://news.abplive.com/topic/imran-khan” data-type=”interlinkingkeywords”>Imran Khan</a>&rsquo;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, demanding political reforms and the release of detained leaders.</p>
<p>Munir also expressed Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;clear and strong&rdquo; backing for Iran in its war with Israel, while simultaneously supporting US-led efforts to de-escalate the conflict. &ldquo;We want this war to end immediately,&rdquo; he said.</p>