Trump’s thumbs-up for PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Asim Munir

Prime Minister Shehbaz, Army Chief hold talks with US President, VP, Secretary of State: Meeting was termed warm friendly with photos depicting ‘smiles all round’: Red-carpet welcome for Pakistani PM at airport: Trump praises PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Asim Munir for their leadership: Shehbaz praises US president as ‘man of peace’: Stresses need for enhancing cooperation in security and intelligence: PM invites President Trump to Pakistani visit

Published: 09:25 AM, 26 Sep, 2025
Featured News, Pakistan
Trump’s thumbs-up for PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Asim Munir
Caption: President Trump gives thumbs-up after holding talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asif Munir with US President Donald Trump at White House on Thursday was described as warm and friendly, starting with smiles all around and concluding in the same spirits, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

During the talks, PM Shehbaz praised the American president as a “man of peace” for his sincere efforts to end conflicts worldwide and commended the steps on the bilateral front to strengthen the Pakistan-US economic cooperation.

During their “warm and cordial” meeting at Oval Office, the prime minister expressed his deep admiration for President Trump’s “bold, courageous and decisive” leadership that had facilitated the ceasefire between Pakistan and India thereby helping to avert a major catastrophe in South Asia.

While discussing the situation in Middle East, Prime Minister Shehbaz lauded President Trump’s efforts to bring about an immediate end to the war in Gaza, especially his initiative to invite key leaders of the Muslim world in New York, earlier this week, for a comprehensive exchange of views for restoration of peace in the Middle East, in particular Gaza and the West Bank.

He also thanked President Trump for the tariff arrangement that was concluded between Pakistan and the United States earlier this year.

While fondly recalling the longstanding partnership between the two countries, he expressed the confidence that under President Trump’s leadership, the Pakistan-US partnership would be further strengthened to the mutual benefit of both countries. In this regard, the Prime Minister invited the US companies to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, IT, mines and minerals and energy sectors.

According to a statement issued by the PM Office, as the two leaders also discussed regional security including counter-terrorism cooperation, the prime minister thanked President Trump for his public endorsement of Pakistan’s role in counter-terrorism and stressed the need to further enhance cooperation in security and intelligence.

PM Shehbaz also extended a warm and cordial invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan, at his convenience.

The meeting at Oval Office, however, was delayed after an earlier presidential engagement overran the scheduled time.

Videos from Andrews airbase, released by the PM Office on Thursday, showed the prime minister arriving in his official plane to a red-carpet welcome by USAF officials, and setting off for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue accompanied by a tight security protocol.

Field Marshal Asim Munir, who met the US president earlier this year for lunch at the White House, also accompanied the prime minister to the Oval Office. From the US side, Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present, a PM Office statement issued after the meeting said.

Pictures released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshall Munir exchanging views with Trump, who also flashed his signature thumbs-up sign in a group photo.

According to a handout from the PM Office, the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere.

The Oval Office huddle was closed to the press. Although the media was not briefed until the time of going to press, information that filtered in through various official channels suggested that this was no mere photo-op.

According to Radio Pakistan, PM Shehbaz Sharif met US President Trump to discuss matters of bilateral interests and exchange views on regional and international issues. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.

Ahead of the meeting, President Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for the way they are leading Pakistan.

While speaking to reporters at his office at a ceremony, Trump mentioned that he was about to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Donald Trump said in fact, we have a great leader coming. He said we have the Prime Minister of Pakistan coming and the Field Marshal. He remarked that the Field Marshal is a very great guy and so is the Prime Minister.

PM Shehbaz, who is visiting US primarily to attend the 80th UN General Assembly session, travelled to Washington for this high-profile meeting.

Cloud over Trump-Sharif huddle

There appears to be a cloud over the Oval Office meeting with the White House failing to release any official pictures or video of the huddle. The White House usually follows protocol by releasing pictures or showcasing live video of the President's meeting with foreign counterparts. 

The Pakistan PMO claimed that the meeting was closed to the press and was delayed by nearly 30 minutes while the US President signed executive orders.

President Trump was also conscious of the delay, telling the media: “They are coming and they may be in this room right now. I don’t know because we are late.”

Photos from the White House press pool showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir waiting patiently on the Oval Office’s gold-gilded furniture as, across the room, the US president wrapped up his previous engagement.

The Army Chief could also be seen speaking to White House staffers as mediapersons packed up their equipment. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio entered the room, he could be seen enthusiastically greeting both Pakistani leaders.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has now returned to New York, as he is due to address the UN General Assembly session on Friday (today).

Earlier on Tuesday in New York, both leaders held an “informal meeting with pleasant exchange of greetings” at the conclusion of the Arab-Islamic summit hosted by President Trump and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Than in New York. The meeting was marked by a “warm handshake and a candid conversation.”, the PM Office said.

Recently, during his ongoing US visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz while talking to the media, praised President Trump and his team for playing a significant role in the ceasefire between Pakistan and India.

The meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Trump comes weeks after a high-level US delegation including renowned global companies in the mining and infrastructure sector visited Pakistan and two MoUs focusing in development and processing of critical minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs), were signed between the two governments on September 8.

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