Washington, September 25, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House today (Thursday), according to the president’s official schedule. The high-level meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. Friday Pakistan Standard Time) in the Oval Office.
While Washington has not confirmed the composition of the Pakistani delegation, there is speculation that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir may also join the meeting. However, security sources have not verified his attendance.
PM Shehbaz, currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, is expected to travel to Washington this afternoon and return the same evening. He is slated to address the UNGA on Friday, September 26.
Although the agenda of the Shehbaz-Trump talks has not been disclosed, the meeting follows President Trump’s recent engagement with leaders from Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan to discuss the Gaza conflict.
Bilateral relations between Washington and Islamabad have seen renewed momentum under President Trump, after years of US preference for India as a counterweight to China in Asia. Recent strains in US-India ties — including disputes over trade tariffs, visa policies, and Trump’s controversial claim of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire earlier this year — have further shifted the diplomatic dynamic.
On July 31, Pakistan and the United States concluded a trade deal setting a 19% tariff rate on Pakistani goods — a significant milestone in their relations. A similar agreement with India has yet to materialize. Analysts note that New Delhi, amid these tensions, is recalibrating its approach towards Beijing.
Earlier this year, Trump hosted COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House — the first time a US president formally received a Pakistani army chief without senior civilian leadership present. The unusual engagement underscored the military’s pivotal role in Pakistan’s policymaking.
A senior State Department official, briefing reporters on Tuesday, said, “We’re working through a number of issues when it comes to counterterrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties. The president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, and that includes engaging with Pakistan and its leadership.”
The latest Shehbaz-Trump meeting also comes against the backdrop of the Pakistan-India hostilities in May, during which New Delhi launched strikes inside Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In response, Pakistan carried out Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, downing six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales.
The conflict ended through a US-brokered ceasefire, with Islamabad crediting President Trump for his role and even nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Since then, Islamabad and Washington have deepened engagement across political, military, and economic channels — with today’s White House meeting expected to further consolidate this upward trajectory in ties.
