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US invites Pakistan Army Chief Munir for Army Day celebrations on June 14

Washington likely to raise terror concerns and China-Pakistan ties during General Munir's visit for US Army's 250th anniversary Himanshu Thakur New Delhi Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (CAOS), General Syed Asim Munir, has been invited by the United States to attend the 250th anniversary of the US Army on June 14, the same day as US President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. General Munir is expected to arrive in Washington, DC on June 12, according to a report by CNN-News18. The visit, while ceremonial on the surface, carries deeper strategic implications. The US is expected to use the occasion to press Pakistan to act against terrorist groups operating against India, especially in the wake of recent tensions triggered by Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Strategic overtones and China concerns Although framed as part of a broader military celebration, the invitation to Munir is viewed as part of Washington's recalibration of its regional strategy. The US is reportedly concerned about Pakistan's deepening economic and military ties with China, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Economic backdrop On May 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursed a $1.023 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility, following a broader understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad after Operation Sindoor. Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the national budget for FY 2025–26 on June 10, with a notable 20 per cent increase in defence spending to PKR 2.55 trillion ($9 billion). The budget reflects heightened security concerns following the cross-border conflict with India. The total budget outlay stands at PKR 17.573 trillion ($62 billion), marking a 6.9 per cent decrease from the previous year. Notably, military pensions worth PKR 563 billion ($1.99 billion) remain outside the formal defence allocation. Pakistan's public debt reached PKR 76,000 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal year, with projected GDP growth of just 2.7 per cent, far behind the regional average of 5.8 per cent reported by the Asian Development Bank for 2024.