‘What A Joke’: Pak Senator Slams Asim Munir For Rare Earth Minerals Pic With Trump

<p>Pakistan Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has drawn sharp criticism back home after presenting a box of rare earth minerals to US President Donald Trump during his recent Washington visit. The gesture has triggered debate over the military&rsquo;s growing role in diplomacy, traditionally the domain of civilian leadership.</p>
<p>Leading the backlash, Senator Aimal Wali Khan likened Munir&rsquo;s act to a shopkeeper flaunting merchandise before a customer. &ldquo;Our Chief of Army Staff is roaming around with a briefcase containing rare earth minerals. What a joke! It was absolute mockery,&rdquo; Khan said in Parliament. A video of his remarks has since gone viral.</p>
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<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”>What joke . In what capacity the Army Chief is carrying minerals in a brief case? Asks Aimal Wali Khan of ANP <a href=”https://t.co/mYhzWbnFnV”>pic.twitter.com/mYhzWbnFnV</a></p>
&mdash; Fakhar Ur Rehman (@Fakharrehman01) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Fakharrehman01/status/1973298993628323949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h2>The Trump&ndash;Munir Photo-Op</h2>
<p>The White House earlier released a photo of Trump examining a wooden box of rare earth minerals presented by Munir, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood by. The optics drew attention because the exchange followed a meeting between Pakistani leaders and Trump, and coincided with the signing of an MoU between Pakistan&rsquo;s Frontier Works Organisation and US Strategic Metals for joint exploration of strategic minerals.</p>
<p>This marked Munir’s third US visit in five months, underlining Pakistan&rsquo;s deepening engagement with the Trump administration.</p>
<p>Senator Khan, who heads the Awami National Party, doubled down on his criticism, saying, &ldquo;Which Chief of the Army Staff would go around carrying a briefcase with rare earth minerals? It looked like a big, branded store &mdash; a manager watching on happily as a shopkeeper tells a customer to purchase a big, glittery thing from him.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The criticism reflects simmering unease in Pakistan over the Army&rsquo;s assertive role in foreign policy, often overshadowing the civilian government.</p>