From planning to followup: PM fully in loop on Trump-COAS meeting

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was fully briefed by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir following the latter’s recent high-profile meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, a senior source confirmed on Friday.

According to the informed source, the subsequent phone call made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also a continuation of the Washington engagement.

The source asserted that all developments, from the scheduling of the Trump-Munir meeting to its content and the followup diplomacy, were coordinated with Prime Minister Shehbaz and carried out in line with mutual policy decisions.

“Although some quarters are spreading disinformation to create mistrust, the reality is that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir are in close and regular contact,” the source said, adding that the civil and military leadership remain united in both strategy and execution.

The high level of coordination between the political and military leadership is not new. Recently, The News reported, citing well-placed sources, that the prime minister and the army chief (field marshal) remained in constant contact during the recent Pakistan-India military conflict. Their collaboration covered all key aspects, including military, diplomatic, and political responses.

“There was seamless coordination, a trust-based relationship underpinned by mutual respect and shared responsibility. It was a unified approach that ensured effective outcomes for Pakistan,” a source familiar with the inner workings of the country’s power corridors was quoted as saying by this newspaper.

Describing the depth of their cooperation, the source had noted, “It was a 24/7, real-time, two-way flow of information, with extensive consultations between the prime minister, the army chief, and their respective teams.”