Was Asim Munir invited to attend the US military parade? White House clears the air amid backlash
The White House on Sunday firmly denied reports claiming that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, was invited to attend the grand US military parade.
"This is false. No foreign military leaders were invited," a White House official was quoted as saying by The Hindu, pushing back on speculation that Munir was among the international figures asked to join the high-profile event.
The denial comes amid political backlash in India due to the media reports. The Congress party called it a 'diplomatic setback' for India, more so in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
The grand military parade that President Donald Trump had been wanting for years barreled down Constitution Avenue on Saturday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, playing out against a counterpoint of protests around the country by those who decried the US leader as a dictator and would-be king.
The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and clouds shrouded the Washington Monument.
'Every other country celebrates their victories. It's about time America did too,' Trump declared in brief remarks at the parade's end.
During the event, the president praised the strength of the military's fighting forces and said US soldiers 'fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win' — putting a new twist on a line that Trump regularly delivered during his 2024 campaign rallies after he survived an assassination attempt.
Anti-Trump activists, including civil-rights groups and labour unions, organised the nationwide protest under the banner of 'No Kings,' denouncing what they say are Trump's authoritarian tendencies — and the parade being held on his 79th birthday.
Major demonstrations took place in Philadelphia, the cradle of US independence, and in Los Angeles, where the opposition to immigration raids prompted Trump to seize control of California's National Guard and deploy US Marines.
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