Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif To Meet US President Trump In Washington Tomorrow

Shehbaz Sharif engaged with Donald Trump on Wednesday during the UNGA session in New York. (File)

Islamabad:

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to journey from New York to Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, signaling efforts to rejuvenate bilateral relations between the two nations.

Currently attending the UN General Assembly session in New York, Shehbaz had a brief "informal exchange" with Trump on Tuesday following a dialogue between the President and leaders from eight Islamic-Arab countries, including Pakistan, according to the foreign ministry.

Diplomatic sources informed The Express Tribune newspaper on Wednesday that the Prime Minister will briefly travel to Washington for his meeting with President Trump.

Following the Washington visit, he will return to New York the same day to resume his UNGA commitments.

This meeting represents the first White House encounter between a US President and Pakistani Prime Minister since July 2019, when then-prime minister Imran Khan met with President Trump in Washington.

Notably, Trump's predecessor, President Joe Biden, maintained distance from Pakistan throughout his administration, never engaging with any Pakistani prime ministers via phone or extending White House invitations.

However, since President Trump assumed office in January, the Pakistan-US relationship has experienced an unexpected and significant transformation.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar participated in a meeting of Arab-Islamic leaders hosted by President Trump, alongside counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Türkiye, and Indonesia.

Following this gathering, Shehbaz and Trump exchanged pleasantries, sharing a handshake and brief conversation.

Thursday's Trump-Shehbaz meeting comes amid a noticeable improvement in relations between Islamabad and Washington.

In June, Trump held an uncommon one-on-one meeting with Pakistan's Army chief Asim Munir at the White House, indicating that the Biden administration's cool approach had been replaced by Trump's more transactional but open style of engagement with Pakistan.

Diplomatic observers view the upcoming Shehbaz-Trump discussion as a continuation of this renewed relationship.

"The significance of the army chief's meeting in June was evident in its optics. This meeting further institutionalizes that opening," revealed a senior Pakistani official familiar with the developments to the paper.

Officials in Islamabad anticipate the meeting will address bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including Afghanistan, counterterrorism cooperation, and trade possibilities.

Analysts note, however, that while Trump demonstrates willingness to engage with Islamabad, the reset in relations remains in its early stages.