The meeting between US President Donald Trump, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Washington, D.C. on Friday was very important. It started late, and the Pakistani delegation had to wait in the Oval Office.
More information about the meeting that was delayed
The Prime Minister’s Office in Pakistan said that the meeting was late by almost 30 minutes. Before the meeting, President Trump admitted in front of the press that he was late.
Trump’s Comments: The President of the United States said he was “late” and didn’t seem to know where his guests were. He said, “They may be in this room right now, I don’t know because we’re late… they may actually be somewhere in the beautiful Oval Office.” Even though there was a delay, Trump called Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir “great guys.”
Timeline: The Associated Press reported that Prime Minister Sharif got to the White House just before 5:00 p.m. local time, when President Trump was busy signing executive orders. The discussion, which was private, ended when the Pakistani group left the White House at about 6:18 p.m.
Media Silence: The White House hasn’t shared any official photos from the meeting between President Trump, Prime Minister Sharif, and Army Chief Munir yet.
Importance of the High-Level Talks
This is the first time Donald Trump has had Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over to the White House since he became President. It shows how the two countries’ relations have been becoming better, or “cozying,” lately.
Pakistani Delegation: The fact that both the Prime Minister and the Army Chief were there for the negotiations shows how important and serious they are, especially because the military has a lot of power in Pakistan.
The conference takes place during a time of rising trade tensions between the U.S. and India, with a 50% tax on Indian imports in place.
Munir’s Last Visit: This wasn’t Army Chief Asim Munir’s first trip to the White House; President Trump had him over for lunch in June. People in India were interested in that earlier meeting since it happened soon after the deadly Pahalgam terror assault on April 22 and after a truce between India and Pakistan, which Trump has said he helped bring about.
Prime Minister Sharif took a short travel from New York to Washington, D.C., where he is attending the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On Friday, he is supposed to give a speech from the UNGA podium.