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PM Shehbaz Sharif to Meet US President Donald Trump at the White House Today
PM Shehbaz meets US President Trump at the White House today; Army Chief Munir & Sec. of State Rubio to join. Talks to cover trade, regional issues, and US-Pak ties amid warming relations.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-09-25
PM Shehbaz Sharif to Meet US President Donald Trump at the White House Today

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House later today, according to the president’s official schedule. The meeting, scheduled for 4:30 pm in Washington (1:30 am PST on Friday), will take place in the Oval Office and is expected to focus on trade, regional security, and bilateral relations.

Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will accompany the prime minister, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will join President Trump. A senior Trump administration official confirmed the meeting, noting that the leaders would “discuss matters of mutual interest as well as regional and global situation.”

The premier is currently in the US to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he has also taken part in a summit of Muslim-majority countries and held side meetings with international financial institutions. Following his meeting with Trump, PM Shehbaz will return to New York to deliver his UNGA address on Friday.

US-Pakistan Ties

At a media briefing in New York, a senior State Department official said ties between Washington and Islamabad were “gradually warming up” in Trump’s second term. The official stressed that US relations with Pakistan were independent of its partnership with India.

“We have an independent relationship with Pakistan,” the official said, citing recent American investments in Pakistan’s mineral and petroleum sectors. The official added that Washington was still reviewing the recently concluded Pakistan-Saudi defence deal.

The meeting comes weeks after the US and Pakistan signed a trade agreement imposing a 19% tariff on Pakistani goods, marking a notable shift in commercial ties. Meanwhile, US-India relations have strained under Trump due to visa hurdles, tariffs, and his claim of personally brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire earlier this year.

Earlier this year, Trump hosted Field Marshal Munir at the White House in a rare meeting with Pakistan’s military chief alone — a move seen as highlighting the military’s pivotal role in shaping bilateral ties.

“We’re working through a number of issues when it comes to counterterrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties,” the US official said. “The president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, including through engagement with Pakistan’s government leaders.”

Regional Diplomacy

Islamabad has publicly backed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in easing India-Pakistan tensions. PM Shehbaz also joined Trump on Tuesday in a meeting with Muslim-majority leaders at the UNGA, where discussions focused on Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza, Qatar, and Iran.

Meeting with Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus

Separately, PM Shehbaz met Bangladesh’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, in New York. The two leaders pledged to strengthen “constructive and forward-looking ties” between their countries. Discussions focused on boosting trade, regional connectivity, and cultural exchanges.

Yunus welcomed Pakistan’s outreach and stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and people-to-people linkages.

The high-profile White House meeting underscores Washington’s renewed engagement with Pakistan amid shifting regional dynamics and global challenges
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