United States (US) President Donald Trump will host Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for lunch at the White House on Wednesday at 1:00 PM in the Cabinet Room, closed to the press.
The five-day US visit, starting June 15, follows Munir’s promotion to field marshal last month, seen as a diplomatic win for Pakistan after an Indian delegation met US Vice President JD Vance earlier this month.
Munir, addressing the Pakistani-American community at the Four Seasons Hotel on Monday, urged India to engage peacefully, rejecting claims of Pakistan’s role in the April Pahalgam attack as a pretext for aggression.
He declared, “We would rather embrace martyrdom than accept this dishonor.”
Munir also expressed Pakistan’s support for Iran in its conflict with Israel while backing US de-escalation efforts, saying, “We want this war to end immediately.” A key highlight is the strengthened U.S.-Pakistan counterterrorism partnership.
Gen. Michael Kurilla of US Central Command praised Pakistan’s role against Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), noting operations that killed dozens of militants and extradited Mohammad Sharifullah, linked to the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing. Kurilla called Pakistan a “phenomenal partner” despite over 1,000 attacks last year killing 700 security personnel and 2,500 civilians.
Zia and Nixon 2