Pakistan army chief Asim Munir set for US trip, second in two months

Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is set to visit the United States later this month —his second trip to Washington in just two months — indicating strengthening ties between the two nations, reports said.

Munir is scheduled to attend the retirement ceremony of US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael Kurilla, who has previously praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counter-terrorism efforts. Kurilla, a four-star general overseeing US military operations in the Middle East, is stepping down later this month, NDTV reported.

Kurilla had earlier commended Pakistan for capturing five ISIS-Khorasan terrorists, based on intelligence shared by the US, and stressed the importance of maintaining relationships with both Pakistan and India. These remarks were not well received in New Delhi, which viewed them as a return to the West’s earlier approach of equating India and Pakistan diplomatically, as reported by India Today.

During his July visit to Islamabad, Pakistan awarded Kurilla the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, one of its highest civilian honours, further cementing the bilateral goodwill.

In June, Munir also made headlines for holding a private lunch meeting with former US President Donald Trump — the first such interaction between a Pakistani military chief and a US president without the presence of civilian government officials. The meeting occurred shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s launch of Operation Sindoor.

Trump publicly credited Munir with helping to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan during that period. “I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it,” Trump said, later suggesting Munir helped avert a potential conflict.

Munir, in turn, endorsed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in preventing escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The Pakistani government soon followed suit, formally nominating Trump for the award.

Observers note that Pakistan has been adept at appealing to Trump’s ego. Since May, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire by threatening to cut trade ties, although India maintains the truce was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.