Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ongoing diplomatic visit to the United States is expected to reach its peak today (Thursday) with a possible high-profile meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump.
According to reports, during his whirlwind tour, the Prime Minister has already attended the United Nations General Assembly, participated in a key multilateral session of the Muslim bloc, and held separate meetings with the heads of international financial institutions in New York. Now, all attention is focused on Washington, though officials remain cautious about releasing details.
Members of the Prime Minister’s media team, Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, and its UN mission staff have described the meeting as “almost certain.” Several senior diplomats have already returned to Washington to prepare, while parts of the media team and journalists covering the visit from Pakistan are also heading south to the US capital.
When asked by reporters about the possibility of a meeting with President Trump on Thursday, Shehbaz Sharif simply smiled and said he would speak about it the next day.
Reports suggest that Field Marshal Asim Munir may also accompany the Prime Minister at the White House meeting. Earlier this year, the Army Chief became the first military commander from Pakistan to be invited for a bilateral meeting at the White House.
However, there has been no formal confirmation of the meeting with President Trump. When questioned about the likelihood, a senior US State Department official carefully directed journalists to the President’s schedule, but as of that time, the White House had not released Trump’s agenda for Thursday.
