Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to visit US for second time in two months
Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir will be travelling to the US for the second time after his first meeting with President Donald Trump in June.This will mark Munir’s second official US trip since the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre.Munir will reportedly attend General Kurilla’s retirement ceremony at CENTCOM.The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) is a unified combatant command tasked with overseeing American military operations across the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.However, it is not clear yet if the Pak army chief will meet Donald Trump this time or not.Before this, Munir held wide-ranging discussions on counter-terrorism efforts, rising tensions in the Middle East and enhancement of bilateral trade during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in June, according to the Pakistani military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).The first meeting took place at a time when Munir’s visit to the US had been overshadowed by widespread protests led by members of the Pakistani diaspora and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.Reports suggest that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff also took part in the meeting. From the Pakistani side, Munir was accompanied by the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik.According to the ISPR, the meeting, initially scheduled for one hour, extended for over two hours, “underscoring the depth and cordiality of the dialogue”.The discussions, it said, also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.While Munir’s visit was being projected as a step towards strengthening military and strategic ties with Washington, the recent backlash from overseas Pakistanis turned his stay at the luxury hotel in Washington into a scene of charged demonstrations.Protesters chanted slogans accusing Munir of human rights violations, branding him as “Pakistanio ke qatil” and “Islamabad ke qatil” – meaning “killer of Pakistanis” and “killers of Islamabad”, respectively.Pakistani-Americans demonstrating outside the hotel stated that their goal was to remind General Munir of the crimes he is allegedly responsible for against the people of Pakistan.(with inputs from syndicated feed)
Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir will be travelling to the US for the second time after his first meeting with President Donald Trump in June.
This will mark Munir’s second official US trip since the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre.
Munir will reportedly attend General Kurilla’s retirement ceremony at CENTCOM.
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) is a unified combatant command tasked with overseeing American military operations across the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.
However, it is not clear yet if the Pak army chief will meet Donald Trump this time or not.
Before this, Munir held wide-ranging discussions on counter-terrorism efforts, rising tensions in the Middle East and enhancement of bilateral trade during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in June, according to the Pakistani military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The first meeting took place at a time when Munir’s visit to the US had been overshadowed by widespread protests led by members of the Pakistani diaspora and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Reports suggest that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff also took part in the meeting. From the Pakistani side, Munir was accompanied by the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik.
According to the ISPR, the meeting, initially scheduled for one hour, extended for over two hours, “underscoring the depth and cordiality of the dialogue”.
The discussions, it said, also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
While Munir’s visit was being projected as a step towards strengthening military and strategic ties with Washington, the recent backlash from overseas Pakistanis turned his stay at the luxury hotel in Washington into a scene of charged demonstrations.
Protesters chanted slogans accusing Munir of human rights violations, branding him as “Pakistanio ke qatil” and “Islamabad ke qatil” – meaning “killer of Pakistanis” and “killers of Islamabad”, respectively.
Pakistani-Americans demonstrating outside the hotel stated that their goal was to remind General Munir of the crimes he is allegedly responsible for against the people of Pakistan.
(with inputs from syndicated feed)
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