
Trump to host Field Marshal Munir at White House today
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for a lunch at the White House on Wednesday.
The meeting, listed on the president's official schedule, will be held in the Cabinet Room and closed to the press.
On Tuesday, the COAS and the overseas Pakistanis pledged to work together towards a more secure, prosperous, and resilient Pakistan.
The COAS who is on an official visit to United States interacted with the overseas Pakistani community in Washington DC, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a press release.
'The diaspora warmly appreciated the outstanding performance of the Armed Forces during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos / Marka-e-Haq, showcasing their bravery and professionalism,' the ISPR said.
'He emphasized the importance of engagement with the overseas Pakistanis, highlighting the need for continued collaboration and cooperation to address common challenges and promote cooperation.'
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Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Field Marshal Asim Munir to meet President Trump in White House for lunch
Listen to article US President Donald Trump is set to host Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for lunch at the White House today. The meeting, listed on the president's official schedule, will take place in the Cabinet Room at 10pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and is closed to the press, according to the US president's public schedule. The visit also follows last month's aerial skirmish between India and Pakistan, which raised regional tensions. Field Marshall Munir is on a five-day official trip to the United States. Recently promoted to five-star rank — Pakistan's first such elevation since 1959 — COAS has made headlines during his tour. In a speech to the Pakistani American community in Washington, he urged India to abandon regional dominance and called for engagement 'as a civilised nation.' He rejected Indian allegations linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack, calling them a pretext for cross-border strikes. 'We would rather embrace martyrdom than accept this dishonour,' he said. The event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, drew strong support from the diaspora. Attendees greeted Field Marshal with rose petals and slogans, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-aligned protesters outside called for democratic reforms and the release of jailed leaders. Field Marshal also expressed Pakistan's support for Iran in its war with Israel, while endorsing US efforts to de-escalate the conflict. 'We want this war to end immediately,' he said. Meanwhile Gen Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, had earlier called Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner' in the fight against Daesh-Khorasan (Daesh-K). Kurilla told lawmakers that Pakistani forces, aided by US intelligence, had killed dozens of Daesh-K terrorists and captured several top operatives, including Mohammad Sharifullah, a planner of the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US troops. Kurilla said Munir called him personally after the arrest, stating, 'I've caught him — ready to extradite him back to the US.' Sharifullah was subsequently handed over to US authorities. In remarks to Congress, Kurilla praised Pakistan's ongoing operations along the Afghan border and said the country continues to play a central role in regional counterterrorism. Despite facing over 1,000 terror incidents last year, Kurilla said Pakistan 'has been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world.' COAS, during his speech to the diaspora, also praised overseas Pakistanis for their economic contributions and dismissed concerns over brain drain.


Business Recorder
3 hours ago
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Iran says hypersonic missiles fired at Israel as Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender'
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'The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles' was carried out, the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state television. Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept. Iran also sent a 'swarm of drones' towards Israel, where the army said it intercepted two over the Dead Sea area. World powers have scrambled for an offramp, hoping to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a region-engulfing war. In separate phone calls with his Iranian counterpart and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday night, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a diplomatic solution. Iran arrests five for 'tarnishing' country's image: media Trump fuelled speculation about American intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, where the leaders of the club of wealthy democracies jointly called for a ceasefire. Back in Washington on Tuesday, Trump demanded the Islamic republic's 'unconditional surrender'. He also boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Iran's supreme leader. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He met with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict, ending after an hour and 20 minutes with no immediate public statement. While he has repeatedly vowed to avoid wading into the 'forever wars' of the Middle East, Trump ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of US military aircraft. US officials stressed he has not yet made a decision about any intervention. Evacuations Despite international alarm, neither side has backed off from the long-range blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Israel claims its attacks have killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani as well as his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid. Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the fighting broke out, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens. More than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel launched its campaign, according to government figures. Israel-Iran conflict: Pakistan, other Muslim states call for ceasefire Among those evacuated were citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, along with others from Germany, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China and Vietnam, a government source told AFP. The United States said it was closing its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday amid the growing conflict, but there was no announcement about helping Americans leave the 'crisis area'. Fearing violence, many residents of Tehran have fled. On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as people rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies. A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran's main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported. With air raid sirens regularly screaming over Tel Aviv, some people relocated to an underground parking lot below a shopping mall. 'We've decided to permanently set camp here until it's all clear, I guess,' Mali Papirany, 30, told AFP. Nuclear facilities After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran denies. Iranian media reported several explosions Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan, home to nuclear facilities. The UN's nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been 'direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls' at Iran's Natanz facility. Air raid sirens in northern Israel due to Iranian missiles: military Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads. The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack. French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had a critical role to play in restarting diplomacy with Iran, where attempts at regime change would bring 'chaos'. Trump urges Tehran evacuation as Iran-Israel conflict enters fifth day China accused Trump of 'pouring oil' on the conflict, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of being 'the biggest threat to the security of the region'. Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu's office. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.


Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Intra-day update: rupee sees slight dip against US dollar
The Pakistani rupee registered marginal decline against the US dollar, depreciating 0.01% during the opening hours of trading in the interbank market on Wednesday. At 10:10am, the local currency was hovering at 283.43, a loss of Re0.02 against the greenback. On Tuesday, the local unit closed at 283.41. Internationally, the US dollar held on to gains against major currencies early on Wednesday, buoyed by demand for safety as conflict between Israel and Iran kept investors on edge ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on interest rates later in the day. Israel has pounded Iran over the past six days to halt its nuclear activity and has asserted the need for a change of government in the Islamic republic. The US military is also bolstering its presence in the region, Reuters reported, sparking speculation of US intervention which investors fear could spread into a region replete with energy resources, supply chains and infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the US dollar has found support as a safe bid, firming roughly 1% against the Japanese yen, Swiss franc and euro since Thursday, helping it shave declines from earlier in the year. The greenback had lost more than 8% earlier in the year due to eroding confidence in the U.S. economy amid trade policies. The US dollar firmed as much as 0.1% against the yen on Wednesday to touch a one-week top. It was last at 145.21 yen. In early Asia trade, the Swiss franc was flat at 0.816 a dollar and the euro was up 0.1% at $1.149. A broader index tracking the greenback against six other currencies was little changed after a 0.6% jump in the previous trading session. Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, ticked up in early trading on Wednesday after ending the previous session up more than 4% on worries that the Iran-Israel conflict could disrupt supplies. Brent crude futures rose 19 cents, or 0.25%, to $76.64 a barrel by 0029 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 23 cents, or 0.31%, to $75.07 per barrel. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' as the Iran-Israel air war entered a sixth day. This is an intra-day update