"I wanted to thank him for...": Trump on meeting Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir
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U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday (local time) for a lunch meeting, where he praised Munir's role in preventing an escalation between India and Pakistan.'Reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it...' Trump said during the meeting, referring to tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.The meeting came against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Iran, with Trump also weighing potential U.S. involvement in the region.Trump once again claimed credit for helping avert a war between India and Pakistan, while commending both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and General Munir for choosing diplomacy over conflict in May.'Prime Minister Modi just left a little while ago and we are working a trade deal with India and also with Pakistan... I am so happy. Two very smart people decided not to keep going with the war. Those are two big nuclear powers. I was honoured to meet him today,' Trump added.However, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that the ceasefire was achieved through direct talks between Indian and Pakistani militaries, not through U.S. mediation. Misri said Modi conveyed this to Trump during their meeting late on Tuesday.General Munir is the first Pakistani military leader to meet a sitting U.S. President since General Pervez Musharraf met President George W. Bush in 2001 while serving as Pakistan's military ruler.The Trump-Munir meeting also follows speculation about Pakistan's possible involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, with some reports suggesting that Pakistan might support Iran.Addressing a public gathering in Washington, DC, General Munir reaffirmed Pakistan's "clear and strong" support for Iran, while also voicing backing for U.S. efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.According to Dawn, one of the key outcomes of Munir's visit has been the strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation, especially in relation to the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) group.Munir's U.S. visit was also marked by protests from overseas Pakistanis. Outside an event at a Washington hotel, demonstrators chanted slogans such as 'Pakistanio ke Qatil' and 'Islamabad ke Qatil' as Munir arrived.The protest video, shared by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on X, showed a screen displaying messages like 'Mass Murderer Asim Munir,' 'Democracy dies when guns speak,' and 'Asim Munir, your time is up. Pakistan will rise."With inputs from ANI
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