US President Donald Trump on Thursday kept reporters guessing about the arrival of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a senior military leader, remarking that the two may already be waiting “somewhere in the Oval Office” as the meeting ran behind schedule.
“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 while addressing the press from the Oval Office.
According to the White House schedule, Trump was slated to hold a closed-door session with Sharif. The Pakistani leader had earlier exchanged informal words with Trump on September 23 following the US President’s meeting with leaders of eight Islamic-Arab countries, where Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present.
The Oval Office engagement comes against the backdrop of warming US-Pakistan ties. Islamabad has credited Trump with helping de-escalate tensions with India during a military flare-up earlier this year, even nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize—a claim New Delhi has strongly dismissed.
In recent months, Trump has welcomed Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir to Washington twice, signing off on a $500 million US investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals sector and discussing cooperation in trade, energy, and even cryptocurrency. The US administration also announced a new trade agreement alongside plans to support Pakistan in exploring its reported oil reserves.
Meanwhile, Trump used the same day to sign an executive order approving a deal to shift TikTok’s ownership to US investors, assuring that Washington would exercise “tight control” over the platform.
