An unusual meeting in Washington

The White House witnessed an unprecedented meeting when President Donald Trump invited Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir for a lunch meeting on Wednesday that lasted two hours. This kind of courtesy is usually extended to heads of state or heads of government only. Afterwards, Trump spoke to the press and praised the pivotal role the Pakistan Army Chief played in the India-Pakistan de-escalation in May. He said he wanted to ‘thank’ Munir for defusing tensions between two nuclear powers perilously poised against each other. But the significance of this unusual meeting is much more than what is being revealed, and certainly much more than the exchange of gratitude.

The meeting has come at the height of the Israel- Iran war. And President Trump acknowledged after the meeting that Pakistanis knew Iran better than most. This was a clear indication that the ongoing war in the Middle East was discussed at length. While addressing the Pakistani diaspora in Washington DC earlier, the army chief had openly upheld the Iranians’ right to self-defense. 

This war between the two archrivals could easily spiral into global conflagration, and President Trump has made a number of lopsided statements that betray his clear bias for Israel. Pakistan’s view of the situation is in consonance with international legitimacy, and it seems some version of that has been conveyed to the top echelons of power in the US.

The US has always viewed Pakistan as an important partner in countering terrorism. In recent months, Pakistan’s security forces have captured a number of Daesh-Khorasan operatives from areas bordering Afghanistan.

These have included Sharifullah Khan, the Afghan national allegedly involved in the Kabul airport attack of 2021. Soon after his arrest, he was handed over to US authorities as he was a proclaimed offender there. Daesh is still active in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan. The Kabul government has, at best, tentative control over its border areas, which results in this American dependence on Pakistan’s security forces to control militant activities.

The security and stability of the Gulf and South Asia are undeniably interlinked.

Javed Hafeez

A Sydney based international security institution has issued the Global Peace Index 2025 and named Kashmir among the world’s “most critical escalation points.” President Trump has plainly stated he’s ready to mediate for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, but India has rejected the idea. 

The security and stability of the Gulf and South Asia are undeniably interlinked, and Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries have been working to keep India-Pakistan tensions at bay. They should now lobby with India to accept President Trump’s offer in the interests of regional peace. Pakistan has, time and again, stated that it favors diplomacy over war.

The unusual White House meeting is also indicative of Pakistan’s enhanced international stature after its clash with India last month. Munir led his force well and later readily accepted de-escalation to obviate mass destruction in the subcontinent. The world at large, appreciated Pakistan’s readiness to accept a probe into the Pahalgam terror attack, used by India as its excuse to attack Pakistan. Both India and Israel have used the proactive deterrence doctrine against their adversaries. This is a dangerous development in international relations that Pakistan rightly abhors. In any case, regional hegemons should not be above accepted international norms.

The lunch meeting was followed by another meeting in the Oval Office. The fact that the second meeting was attended by Steve Witkoff, the US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs, indicates the centrality of the Iran-Israel war to the long conversation. 

Contrary to the popular belief that US-Pakistan relations are now confined to the one-point agenda of counterterrorism, bilateral relations are poised for higher engagement after a hiatus during Biden’s term. These fresh opportunities are a challenge for Pakistan’s foreign policy as well. Pakistan’s strategic partner is China and the US-China global competition for influence is bound to increase.

The world today is unfortunately witnessing more conflicts than before, with the rules-based international conduct in decline. New global and regional configurations are underway. Defense expenditures are on the rise.

Eternal vigilance is essential to safeguard national sovereignty. Oil prices have increased due to current tensions. Commercial shipping in the Gulf and beyond is under stress. GCC countries, Pakistan, the US, Iran and the international economy are all negatively impacted. This calls for regular consultation, no matter how unusual, between these stakeholders.

– Javed Hafeez is a former Pakistani diplomat with much experience of the Middle East. He writes weekly columns in Pakistani and Gulf newspapers and appears regularly on satellite TV channels as a defense and political analyst. X: @JavedHafiz8