US President Donald Trump welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the White House on Thursday. The high-profile visit comes despite Trump’s earlier criticism of Pakistan as a “terrorist safe haven.”
The Oval Office session, closed to the press, marked Sharif’s first meeting with a US president and the first time a Pakistani leader entered the Oval Office since Imran Khan in July 2019.
US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the discussions.
Trump Praises Pakistan Leaders as “Great Leaders”
Ahead of the meeting, Trump praised Sharif and Munir while briefing reporters.
“In fact, we have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Field Marshal. Field Marshal is a very great guy and so is the Prime Minister, both, and they’re coming, and they may be in this room right now. I don’t know, because we’re late…” Trump said.
Sharif arrived at the White House just before 5 p.m. as Trump was signing executive orders. The leaders met for nearly two hours, discussing bilateral relations, trade, regional security, and global challenges.
Sharif’s Busy Week in the US
The Washington stopover, lasting less than 24 hours, was added to Sharif’s five-day visit to the United States tied to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Sharif joined a delegation of eight Arab and Muslim nations who met Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA to discuss the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. He also addressed the UN Climate Summit and is scheduled to deliver Pakistan’s formal UNGA speech on Friday.
Strengthening US-Pakistan Relations
The White House visit signals a new phase in US-Pakistan relations. In July, both countries announced a trade agreement, with Trump confirming plans to work with Pakistan to develop its oil reserves.
Informal exchange followed the dialogue between President Trump and leaders of eight Islamic-Arab countries, including Pakistan. Prime Minister @CMShehbaz and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator @MIshaqDar50 joined President @realDonaldTrump in the discussion. pic.twitter.com/Ku0Iaycha8
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 23, 2025
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Sharif also had an informal exchange with Trump earlier this week, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
“Informal exchange followed the dialogue between President Trump and leaders of eight Islamic-Arab countries, including Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar joined President Donald Trump in the discussion,” the ministry shared in a post on X.
