US President Trump to meet PM Shehbaz today, official says

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, a Trump administration official told Reuters on Wednesday, with the meeting coming weeks after the two countries agreed to a trade deal.

US-Pakistan ties have warmed in recent months under Trump after Washington had for years viewed Pakistan’s rival India as a counter to China’s influence in Asia.

Washington’s relations with New Delhi have been tested under the Republican leader over issues such as visa hurdles for Indians, high tariff rates imposed by Trump on goods from India and Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered an India-Pakistan ceasefire in May after the South Asian neighbours engaged in their latest hostilities.

PM Shehbaz, Trump exchange pleasantries

The United States and Pakistan announced a trade deal on July 31 with a 19% tariff rate imposed by Washington. Trump has yet to reach a trade deal with India.

Officials and analysts have noted that after tensions with Washington, New Delhi is recalibrating relations with China as a hedge.

Trump welcomed Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir earlier this year, the first time a US president hosted the head of Pakistan’s army - widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country - at the White House, unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials.

“We’re working through a number of issues when it comes to counter-terrorism, when it comes to economic and trade ties,” a senior State Department official told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday when asked about Pakistan.

“And so the president remains focused on advancing US interests in the region, which includes engaging with Pakistan and their government leaders,” the official said.

When asked about frictions with India, the official said Trump believed in being frank about frustrations in ties but the relationship was strong. Washington viewed New Delhi as a good friend and partner and believed their relationship would define the 21st century, the official said.

They added that Washington had been working on planning for a summit of the Quad grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the United States that India had been expected to hold in November. That would happen, “if not this year, early next year,” the official said.

Pakistan has backed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, although Islamabad has condemned US ally Israel’s bombardments in Gaza, Qatar and Iran.

Shehbaz was part of a meeting Trump had on Tuesday with leaders of many Muslim-majority countries, where the US president discussed Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Washington says the US shared peace proposals with leaders from those countries in the meeting held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.