Pak army chief Munir's meeting with Trump lasted over two hours: ISPR
Islamabad: Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir held wide-ranging discussions on counter-terrorism efforts, rising tensions in the Middle East and enhancement of bilateral trade during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, the Pakistani military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated on Thursday.
The meeting took place at a time when Munir's visit to the US has been overshadowed by widespread protests led by members of the Pakistani diaspora and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Reports suggest that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative for Middle Eastern Affairs Steve Witkoff also took part in the meeting. From the Pakistani side, Munir was accompanied by the Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik.
According to the ISPR, the meeting, initially scheduled for one hour, extended for over two hours, "underscoring the depth and cordiality of the dialogue".
The discussions, it said, also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.
"President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests. Munir acknowledged President Trump's statesmanship and his ability to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges faced by the global community," ISPR stated.
While Munir's visit is being projected as a step towards strengthening military and strategic ties with Washington, the recent backlash from overseas Pakistanis turned his stay at the luxury hotel in Washington into a scene of charged demonstrations.
Protesters chanted slogans accusing Munir of human rights violations, branding him as "Pakistanio ke qatil" and "Islamabad ke qatil" -- meaning "killer of Pakistanis" and "killers of Islamabad", respectively.
A video widely circulated on social media showed one protester yelling, "Geedad, geedad, geedad (jackal, jackal, jackal)", a derogatory term used to suggest cowardice and deceit.
The clip quickly went viral and was described by analysts as a public embarrassment for the Pakistani military establishment.
Pakistani-Americans demonstrating outside the hotel stated that their goal was to remind General Munir of the crimes he is allegedly responsible for against the people of Pakistan.
This is Munir's first official US trip since the April 22 terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
19 minutes ago
- First Post
Not only US, Pakistan reached out to Saudis too when India launched Operation Sindoor, reveals Ishaq Dar
Dar said Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman personally inquired whether he could convey Pakistan's willingness to halt hostilities to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, revealing that Riyadh was involved in behind-the-scenes diplomacy read more Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that Islamabad reached out not only to US but also Saudi Arabia in a bid to de-escalate tensions after India's airstrikes under Operation Sindoor. Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar' openly admits 2 things in this interview 📍India struck the Nir Khan Air base and Shorkot Air base 📍 Ishaq Dar' says Saudi Prince Faisal called him asking "Am I authorised to talk to Jaishankar also and CONVEY ..and you are READY TO TALK"… — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) June 19, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Speaking to Geo News, Dar said Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman personally inquired whether he could convey Pakistan's willingness to halt hostilities to Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, revealing that Riyadh was involved in behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Dar also confirmed that India's precision strikes targeted key Pakistani military installations, including the Nur Khan and Shorkot airbases just as Pakistan was preparing to launch retaliatory strikes, a disclosure that sharply contradicts Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's earlier claims of a triumphant operation. 'Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman called and asked if he could tell Jaishankar that Pakistan is ready to stop,' Geo News quoted Dar as saying. Dar's candid acknowledgment contradicts earlier official statements by the Pakistani leadership, which had emphasised that Pakistan delivered a decisive blow to India during Operation Sindoor. In reality, Dar's comments, along with PM Sharif's own recent statements, suggest that Pakistan was caught off guard by India's rapid and targeted military action. Just days after the strikes, Pakistan's military — under the command of Army Chief General Asim Munir — was reportedly reeling from the impact of India's surprise offensive, which disrupted planned counterattacks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD General Munir, who has since been promoted to Field Marshal, described India's actions as an attempt to impose a 'new normal' — referring to its cross-border precision strikes on terror-linked facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 'India attempted to establish a 'new normal' — a dangerous precedent of crossing international borders at will,' Dawn quoted General Munir as saying at a gathering of overseas Pakistanis in Washington. Adding to the shift in narrative, PM Sharif recently admitted that India had launched BrahMos missile strikes targeting multiple locations, including Rawalpindi airport. 'India again launched missile attacks, BrahMos, and hit Pakistan's various provinces, including airport in Rawalpindi and other places,' said Sharif. He added that Pakistan's planned counterstrike for 4:30 am on May 10 was preempted by India's offensive on the night of May 9-10, catching the military off guard. Together, these acknowledgments present a sharp shift from Islamabad's earlier boasts, revealing instead a defensive scramble against India's 'new normal.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India carried out precision strikes under 'Operation Sindoor' on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Visa interviews for international students set to open, subject to review of social media accounts
AI-generated image (For representative purposes only) Visa interviews for international students (those seeking a F-visa or M-visa) and those aspiring to visit US on an exchange visa (J visa) is set to open, but the news is mixed. The new requirement by the US Department of State (DOS) is that all applicants must make their social media accounts open for government review. In late May, DOS had paused consulate visa interviews for these categories of applicants to enable introduction and implementation of enhanced social media screening and vetting processes. A tersely worded statement, issued late night on Wednesday, by DOS states, 'We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the US, including those who pose a threat to US national security. Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public'. Several federal agencies under the Trump administration are issuing constant reminders that 'A US visa is a privilege, not a right,' – these words and the concern about 'national security' echo throughout this statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Doutor: Manter a massa muscular após os 50 anos depende deste hábito noturno Revista do Homem Saiba Mais Undo 'The US must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the US do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,' adds the statement. It may be recalled that in mid-March, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian PhD student at Columbia University, self-deported to Canada after her US student visa was revoked due to alleged campus activism. The subsequent weeks saw hundreds of F-1 visas and/or SEVIS records being revoked for a multitude of reasons including campus activism, some reasons were as trifling as a traffic violation. Several US district courts have granted temporary injunctions to international students against such revocations. In April, as was duly reported by TOI, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that the agency will 'begin considering aliens' antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. ' Given that this course of action existed, the pause on the issue of international student visas had taken the student community by surprise. According to immigration attorneys the need to have social media accounts 'public' is the marked difference. Given the past actions of the US authorities, a student from Pune, who was aspiring to study in the US had deleted all her social media accounts. 'My immigration attorney has now told me that even the lack of a social media presence could be held against me – it could indicate that I had things to hide,' she told TOI. Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at told TOI, 'All foreign students and scholars applying for F, M and J visas will need to ensure their social media accounts are public for review. Consular officers will screen for 'hostility' toward US citizens, culture, government, or institutions. There is absolutely no guidance on what these 'hostility indicators' mean or to what extent the US government will go to determine hostility. This vague criteria creates uncertainty for applicants and raises questions about consistency and fairness in the visa application review process.' New York based Cyrus Mehta, founder of an immigration law firm added, 'This is so very authoritarian and even creepy, and it is aimed at stifling all forms of critical speech that is integral to a student's education.' According to a recent report released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), there were 15.8 lakh international students in the US during 2024, with the Indian contingent of nearly 4.2 lakh students being the largest. However, recent trends have shown a decline in interest in studying in the US.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump weighs military action on Iran, to make a decision within two weeks, says White House
President Trump announced he will decide within two weeks whether to take military action against Iran, amid speculation of potential U.S. involvement in Israeli operations. While hinting at possible negotiations with Tehran, Trump emphasized the need for Iran's "unconditional surrender" regarding its nuclear program. U.S. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 'Nothing is too late': Trump 'Nobody knows what I want to do' The White House said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump will make a decision within two weeks on whether to launch military action against Iran, suggesting that a diplomatic route may still be possible."Based on the fact that there is a substance chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision of weather or not to go clear within the next two week," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, quoting Wednesday, amid growing speculation that the U.S. could join Israeli military operations on Iranian soil, Trump left clear that no decision had been from the South Lawn of the White House, he told reporters: 'I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.'Trump claimed Iran has suggested sending officials to the White House to discuss their nuclear program: 'They've suggested that they come to the White House. That's, you know, courageous, but it's, like, not easy for them to do.'Despite the delay, Trump stressed: 'Nothing is too late.'Trump said he has previously favored diplomacy as a means to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, recalling his 2018 withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Yet since Israel began airstrikes against Iran—six days prior—Trump's tone has shifted toward supporting Israeli military actions, while warning of broader accused Tehran of dragging its feet in negotiations: 'Why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country."Even as he stood beside a newly installed flagpole on the South Lawn, Trump appeared relaxed but unmistakably serious. Explosions were reported over Tehran on Wednesday afternoon, with AFP confirming renewed Israeli mounting tensions, Trump did not commit to any immediate U.S. military action. When pressed, he responded: 'I can't say that. Nobody knows what I want to do.'He dressed his stance in stark terms, saying that Iran must face 'unconditional surrender' and calling its nuclear program duplicitous: 'They have bad intentions.' At the same time, he insisted he had sympathy for the Iranian people: 'I like the Iranians. I know many. They're great people.'In parallel with Trump's remarks, U.S. military assets—ships and aircraft carriers—have been repositioning closer to the Middle East, signaling readiness even as policy remains deliberately vague. Trump described the administration's stance as geared toward 'something much bigger than a ceasefire.'He also revealed, 'Told [Israel's Prime Minister] Netanyahu: keep going,' but emphasized that this did not signal a new U.S. military role in Israel's warned that 'next week will be big, maybe less than a week,' signaling that the world could see a major U.S. policy shift—either toward war or continued negotiations—within days.
