The BRICS TimesPakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. This meeting is seen as a significant step toward improving Pakistan-US relations. Since Trump’s return to the presidency, India-Pakistan relations have also witnessed renewed warmth.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the White House on Thursday. Currently, Sharif is attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York. On Tuesday, he engaged in informal talks with Trump following a meeting that included leaders from eight Islamic-Arab countries, with Pakistan among them.
Sharif will travel to Washington for a single day and return to New York the same day to participate in the remaining UNGA sessions. The last time a Pakistani Prime Minister met Trump was in 2019, when Imran Khan visited Washington. This makes Sharif’s meeting particularly significant.
Distance During Biden Administration
During Joe Biden’s presidency, Pakistan was largely overlooked. Biden did not call or invite any Pakistani Prime Minister to the White House during his term. However, since Trump reassumed office in January this year, there has been a noticeable shift in Pakistan-US relations.
Earlier Meeting with Army Chief
Earlier in June, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir met President Trump at the White House. That meeting was seen as a key step toward strengthening ties between the two countries. The Sharif-Trump meeting is now considered the next stage in this diplomatic process.
Key Discussion Topics
The leaders are expected to discuss Afghanistan, counter-terrorism cooperation, trade, and regional issues. Experts suggest that while Trump appears eager to improve relations with Pakistan, the process is still in its early stages and may take time.
This meeting comes at a time of rising tensions in the Middle East. Recently, Israel carried out strikes targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, drawing criticism from America’s Arab allies. Pakistan also participated in meetings convened by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation regarding this issue.
