Trump to meet Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif at White House
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US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday.
The meeting follows a brief interaction between the two leaders earlier this week on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Prime Minister Sharif also joined a high-level meeting between Trump and leaders of Muslim-majority nations on Tuesday, where discussions focused on possible solutions to counter Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
In July, Trump announced that Washington had sealed a trade deal with Pakistan. He also said the United States would work with Islamabad to develop what he described as the South Asian nation’s “massive oil reserves.” The deal was revealed shortly after Trump declared a 25% tariff on all Indian goods, along with an additional penalty on purchases linked to Russian military equipment and energy.
Relations between Washington and Islamabad have drawn renewed attention since May, when Pakistan credited Trump for what he described as a peace intervention during its military conflict with India.
Earlier this year, Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, at the White House. The meeting, held in the absence of senior civilian officials, was seen as highlighting the importance Trump places on military diplomacy with Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has publicly backed Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to his role in easing tensions with India. At the same time, Islamabad has strongly criticised US support for Israel during the conflict in Gaza.