Islamabad, August 12, 2025: Pakistan’s high-level outreach to US President Donald Trump has rattled India, the Financial Times (FT) reported, pointing to a notable revival in ties between Washington and Islamabad led by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
According to the report, Munir’s visit to Florida last weekend for the retirement of US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla marked his second cordial engagement with senior American military figures this summer. In June, he held a two-hour private lunch with Trump—just weeks after Pakistan and India’s deadliest military standoff in decades.
Such gestures are unusual for a foreign military leader, the FT noted, particularly given Trump’s past accusations that Pakistan offered “nothing but lies and deceit” to Washington. Analysts called the shift an “unexpected resurgence” in relations.
The warming ties have unsettled New Delhi, especially after Trump’s administration imposed a lighter 19% trade tariff on Pakistan compared to a punitive 50% on India, alongside pledges to help develop Pakistan’s “massive oil reserves.”
The FT credited the diplomatic turnaround to a calculated Pakistani strategy combining counterterrorism cooperation, business outreach to Trump allies, and agreements in energy, critical minerals, and cryptocurrency. Pakistani officials said rebuilding personal channels to Trump and his circle was urgent, particularly after some had earlier supported sanctions on Munir over the imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan.
A breakthrough came in March when Pakistani intelligence handed over an Islamic State Khorasan operative accused of planning a 2021 Kabul bombing that killed 180 people, including 13 US troops. Trump hailed the move in his State of the Union address, using the moment to criticise India’s tariffs.
Islamabad has also embraced “crypto diplomacy,” signing an April deal between a Trump-backed cryptocurrency firm and Pakistan’s crypto council. Since then, Minister for Crypto and Blockchain Bilal bin Saqib has promoted Pakistan’s digital asset potential to Washington insiders.
Munir’s handling of the May military clash with India reportedly impressed Trump, with Pakistani officials saying he downed several Indian jets without escalating the conflict, paving the way for a US- and Gulf-brokered ceasefire.
“Trump needs success stories to proclaim, and Pakistan is happy to give them to him,” said Husain Haqqani, a former ambassador to the US.
By contrast, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejected talk of US mediation, claiming the truce came through bilateral channels.
The FT reported that Pakistan is positioning itself as a back channel to rivals Iran and China, reviving its Cold War–era role in US diplomacy. In late July, Munir visited Beijing to reassure Chinese officials about the safety of their nationals in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is one of the few countries maintaining strong ties with China, Iran, the Gulf states, Russia to a degree, and now again with the US,” said Marvin Weinbaum of the Middle East Institute.
For India, the Trump–Pakistan thaw is a diplomatic irritant, with officials privately frustrated that Washington is rewarding a military-led neighbour while penalising the region’s largest economy.
Analysts warned the goodwill could be fleeting. Pakistan’s oil potential remains unproven, its economy is reliant on a $7 billion IMF bailout, and recognising Israel—a possible US expectation—would be politically fraught in Islamabad.
According to Haqqani, Trump is “playing the Pakistan card” to pressure India. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi cautioned that while the strategy may bring quick wins, Islamabad must protect “both its interests and its dignity” in managing the unpredictable relationship.
