“Caution is justified by the nature of the roller coaster of relationships in the past, which saw several maximums and many minimums,” says Maleeha Lodhi.
Big Smiles, a red carpet and a thumb up: the first formal bilateral interaction between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the president of the United States, Donald Trump, during the early hours of Friday morning, was planted in all waves.
The meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister’s office in the Army Chief (COAS), was also described by the Prime Minister’s office as detained in a pleasant atmosphere.
However, the meeting itself closed to the press, a break from the usual modus operendi of President Trump, since he likes the photos of the oval office quite a lot and there was also no press conference; Only a statement issued by Pakistan where the president of the United States was described as a “man of peace” and emphasizing the need to improve cooperation in security and intelligence.
With the “gradually warming of the United States ties” in the second mandate of President Trump, the meeting was closely observed by the falcons and geopolitical analysts. This is what some had to say about it:
‘Quite surprising’
The author and journalist Zahid Hussain described the “very significant” meeting for Pakistan, adding that the positive ties were a “surprise” following the deterioration in relations with the US. UU. In the previous four years.
“He was quite surprising, because the president was supposed to be very close to India,” he said.
According to Hussain, the positive change began in March, when the president praised the cooperation of Pakistan for arresting the person responsible for killing 13 members of the US service.
He said the ties were reinforced with Washington’s intervention during the four -day conflict between India and Pakistan in May.
Hussain stressed that the Munir Marshal meeting with Trump in Julio had no precedents “and that the president” overlooked all protocols. “
“In the past, we have seen that Pakistan army chiefs have met US presidents, but in a different capacity … when they were also president of the country,” he said.
“There has certainly been some improvement in relationships, but what happened yesterday, we do not know much about it,” he said, added that no statement or press information had yet been issued after the meeting.
However, he pointed out that the meeting lasted a long time, it lasted an hour and 20 minutes instead of the expected 45 minutes.
“The most important part was that, together with Prime Minister, the head of the Army was also present there,” he said. “So that means that relations with Pakistan depend largely on security and intelligence cooperation.”
Highlighting the importance of military aspect in the previous times when the United States had been an ally, he said: “I think this is a recognition that true power falls to the military in Pakistan.”
Highlighting the historically “transactional” relationship between the two countries, particularly with Trump, Hussain added: “What has been the American demand? We do not know … there is certainly something else.”
‘Notable change but precaution justified’
The diplomat Maleeha Lodhi, who previously served as a permanent representative of Pakistan for the United Nations and the former ambassador to the United States, described the continuous warming of relations between the United States and Pakistan a “remarkable change” after the links had plunged a bass during the previous period of US President Joe Biden from the withdrawal of the United States.
“The meeting has injected a greater impulse for the restart of the Pakistan-Ee. UU.” Dawn.comAdding that the invitation of a Pakistani prime minister to the White House after six years reflected “the renewed recognition of the United States of Pakistan’s geopolitical importance in the region and the Middle East at a time of changing international dynamics.”
“But an evaluation of the importance of the White House meeting has to expect details of what was discussed and in which areas have agreed to cooperate the two countries,” Lodhi added.
“Caution is justified by the nature of the Russian mountain of relationships in the past, which saw several maximums and many minimums,” he said.
‘Will wait to form opinion’
Senior Sunrise The correspondent Baqir Sajad Syed retained when commenting on the meeting between the two leaders.
“There is very little information out there,” he said.
“I will wait to know from the White House or the United States Department of the United States before forming any opinion,” he added.
‘It was not a state visit’
Michael Kugelman, an expert in Washington’s relations with the nations of southern Asia, challenged the notion that a “great protocol” was granted to Shehbaz and Munir in Washington, DC.
“I do not agree,” he said simply in an X publication, noting that the prime minister was received by an American military officer and that the delegation received the expected standard caravan for the impulse.
“The protocol was basic. This was not a state visit,” he said.
He recalled Imran Khan’s visit to the White House in 2019, during which the then general head of the ej, Bajwa, who accompanied him, was “deep down and barely seen.”
“Munir, on the contrary, was in charge and the center today,” he said. “Exactly as expected,” he added.
Image of the heading: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif talks to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, at the White House, Washington DC, on September 26, 2025. – Tararattaullah/X X
