Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, issued a sharp rebuke following Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, warning that Munir and the Pakistani military have a long history of deceitful tactics and cannot be trusted.
In a strongly worded post on X, Khalilzad accused the Pakistani military of consistently playing a “double game”—accepting US assistance while simultaneously harbouring terrorists responsible for American casualties during the wars in Afghanistan and the global fight against terror.
“President Trump knows that the Pakistani military has long played a double game with us. During our military presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan took our assistance and at the same time provided support and sanctuary to those who were killing our forces,” Khalilzad wrote.
He referenced Osama bin Laden’s presence near a Pakistani military facility as proof of duplicity and criticised Pakistan for continuing to imprison Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped the US locate the al-Qaida leader.
Khalilzad suggested that Munir had come to the White House with multiple objectives, including:
- Securing US investments in Pakistan’s mineral sector via military-run enterprises.
- Encouraging the US to subcontract Afghan counterterrorism responsibilities to the Pakistani military.
- Positioning himself as a backchannel to China.
- Seeking greater legitimacy and US endorsement as Pakistan’s de facto leader.
- Smoothing Indo-Pak tensions while projecting regional influence.
Despite Munir’s rising political and public stature, Khalilzad noted that Pakistan is grappling with deep-rooted challenges—including economic turmoil, the Balochistan insurgency, and the continued imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“There is widespread opposition to the continued imprisonment of the country’s most popular politician @ImranKhanPTI on trumped-up charges,” Khalilzad added. “There are huge economic problems in the country, plus a growing insurgency in the #Balochistan region.”
Khalilzad’s comments came after President Trump hosted General Munir for lunch at the White House, praising his role in helping to de-escalate recent tensions between India and Pakistan.
“The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it,” Trump told reporters.
Munir is the first Pakistani military leader to meet a sitting US President since General Pervez Musharraf in 2001, during his rule as a military dictator.
Khalilzad, however, issued a clear warning: “Bottom line: Gen Asim Munir cannot be trusted.”
