US Invites Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir For Army Day. What's On His Agenda
Washington:
Pakistan's Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir, has been invited to the United States to attend the US Army's 250th anniversary celebrations. Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), who was recently promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, is scheduled to visit Washington for the June 14 celebrations, which will coincide with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
Pakistan's Agenda
The agenda of Munir's visit is to seek Washington's security cooperation against Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISKP)-- a branch of the terror group Islamic State (IS) active in Central and South Asia, including Pakistan, according to sources.
Pakistan also wants the United States to push India to the dialogue table, especially on the issue of resumption of the Indus Waters Treaty, which was suspended by New Delhi in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre in which Islamabad-backed terrorists gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists.
Munir will also try to woo Trump in favour of its proposed zero-tariff bilateral trade agreement with the United States, and seek investment in minerals and agriculture through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), sources added.
PTI Plans Protests In Washington
Munir's visit has provoked political reactions within Pakistan, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planning protests against him. PTI, which has long opposed the current Pakistani establishment, called for a protest outside the Pakistani embassy in Washington on June 14.
"Preparing for a massive protest in Washington DC at the arrival of the Islamabad assassin Asif Munir. PTI USA and over 12 cooperating organizations from the Pakistani diaspora are collaborating to protest in front of the Pakistan Embassy on Saturday, June 14. Spread the word and join the protest to restore democracy in Pakistan," PTI's Secretary for Overseas Affairs, Sajjad Burki, said in a post on X.
Preparing for a massive protest in Washington DC at the arrival of the Islamabad assassin Asif Munir. PTI USA and over 12 cooperating organizations from the Pakistani diaspora are collaborating to protest in front of the Pakistan Embassy on Saturday June 14.
Spread the word and… pic.twitter.com/C1ymAYexmU
— Sajjad Burki (@SajjadBurki) June 10, 2025
"Let the White House know that any deal with this government is not acceptable to the people of Pakistan," he added in a message that is also being distributed as pamphlets in Washington's Pakistani-American neighbourhoods.
Pak Delegation to Visit US For Trade Talks
Munir's visit to the US is likely to coincide with the tour of a senior trade delegation from Pakistan to Washington this week for talks with US officials on the recently imposed American tariffs and related economic issues. The three-day visit will be the latest in a series of high-level exchanges between Islamabad and Washington amid a fragile regional security climate following last month's military conflict with India, according to a report by Dawn.
The delegation will be led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and includes senior Federal Board of Revenue officials and representatives of the energy and information technology sectors. They will hold meetings with their US counterparts at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, focusing on trade imbalances, tariff adjustments, and sectoral cooperation, the Dawn report said.
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