WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had invited Field Marshal Asim Munir to thank him for not going into the war with India.
He stated in his interaction with media after hosting Pakistan’s army chief at the White House.
To a question that did he discuss Iran with Field Marshal Asim Munir, President Trump sais, “Well, they know Iran very well, better than most, and they’re not happy about anything. It’s not that they’re bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they know Iran better. He (FM Asim Munir) agreed with me.”
Trum added, “The reason I had him here was that I wanted to thank him for not going into the war. And I want to thank PM Modi as well, who just left few days ago. We’re working on a trade deal with India and Pakistan. These two very smart people (Asim Munir and Modi) decided not to keep going with war that could have been a nuclear war. Pakistan and India are two big nuclear powers. So I was honored to meet him (FM Asim Munir) today.”
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s rare one-on-one meeting with President Trump was held at the White House Cabinet Room.
This development came after both countries witnessed an increased bilateral engagement at the government level this year.
Field Marshal Asim Munir is also expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on his US trip.
Prior to the meeting, during a conversation with journalists at the White House lawn, President Trump said that Pakistan’s army chief is an influential figure in his country and played a key role in the ceasefire from Pakistan’s side.
Trump further stated, “Pakistanis are very good people. Pakistan is a nuclear country, and I like Pakistan.”
According to Reuters, when asked what he wanted to achieve from the lunch meeting, which will follow a call he held with Modi on Tuesday evening, Trump said: “Well, I stopped a war ... I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India.
“But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India. This man [Asim Munir] was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side. Modi from the India side and others. They were going at it -- and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.”
However, Modi told Trump late on Tuesday that the ceasefire was achieved through talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries and not US mediation, according to India’s most senior diplomat, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
India has repeatedly denied any third-party mediation and Tuesday’s phone call between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which Modi attended as a guest, was the two leaders’ first direct exchange since the May 7-10 conflict.
“PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Misri said in a press statement.
“Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi emphasized that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,” he said.
Misri said the two leaders had been due to meet on the sidelines of G7 summit but Trump left a day early due to the situation in the Middle East.
Trump asked Modi if he could stop by the US on his return from Canada, Misri said, but the Indian leader expressed his inability to do so due to a pre-decided schedule. He invited Trump to visit India later this year for the summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping, which Trump accepted, Misri said.
Separately, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari welcomed the luncheon meeting between Field Marshal Asim Munir and President Trump, calling it a “positive step” in Pakistan-US relations, especially in the context of Trump’s role in mediating a ceasefire.
Taking to the social media platform X, Bilawal stated, “Today, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will meet US President Donald Trump over lunch — a positive step in Pakistan-US relations, particularly given the president’s role in mediating a ceasefire.”
Commenting further on the regional situation, Bilawal noted that despite Pakistan’s decisive victory in the recent five-day conflict, India has resisted efforts to establish permanent peace, including US-led diplomatic initiatives. “Pakistan does not seek conflict, nor are we desperate for dialogue,” he said. “But we do recognise that peace is in the interest of both nations. There is no military solution to our disputes.”
He criticised India’s policies, stating, “India’s weaponisation of water, its repression in Kashmir, and the politicisation of terrorism are unsustainable. The path forward lies in honest diplomacy — not denial.”
Speaking on Geo News live transmission, former senator and Chairman Pakistan-China Institute Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that President Trump does not want tensions to escalate between Pakistan and India. He noted that the focus of the meeting between Trump and Field Marshal Munir will be the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict as well as the regional situation involving India. “I believe Trump would be keen to hear field marshal’s analysis on the Iran-Israel war,” he said.
In response to a question, Mushahid said that Trump is expected to make a decision within the next day or two on whether the United States will join the war. He remarked that after Pakistan’s decisive military performance, Trump now views Pakistan’s leadership from a new strategic lens. “Trump has always said he likes winners, not losers,” he added.
The former senator added that Trump’s meeting with the Pakistan Army chief would cause “mourning in India”. “Pakistan dealt a military blow to India, while the US delivered a diplomatic setback,” he said, adding that despite Indian opposition, Trump acknowledged that resolving the Kashmir issue was essential.