Pak Army chief Munir invited to US military parade? White House says no

The White House has denied reports claiming that Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been sent an invitation to the US military parade

   

This report has been updated  The White House has denied reports claiming that Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been invited to the military parade in the US, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the US Army, The Hindu reported. 

 

The report, citing a White House official, said, "This is false. No foreign military leaders were invited." This comes after several it was reported that  Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (CAOS), General Syed Asim Munir, has been invited by the United States to attend the 250th anniversary of the US Army on June 14, the same day as US President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. General Munir is expected to arrive in Washington, DC on June 12.

 

The visit, while ceremonial on the surface, carries deeper strategic implications. The US is expected to use the occasion to press Pakistan to act against terrorist groups operating against India, especially in the wake of recent tensions triggered by Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

 

Strategic overtones and China concerns 

Although framed as part of a broader military celebration, the invitation to Munir is viewed as part of Washington’s recalibration of its regional strategy. The US is reportedly concerned about Pakistan’s deepening economic and military ties with China, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

 

As Pakistan seeks foreign investments in sectors like lithium, copper, gold, and rare earth minerals, it is reportedly wary of replicating China’s high-leverage investment model, which has contributed significantly to its mounting debt burden. 

 

Economic backdrop 

On May 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursed a $1.023 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility, following a broader understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad after Operation Sindoor.

 

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the national budget for FY 2025–26 on June 10, with a notable 20 per cent increase in defence spending to PKR 2.55 trillion ($9 billion). The budget reflects heightened security concerns following the cross-border conflict with India.

 

The total budget outlay stands at PKR 17.573 trillion ($62 billion), marking a 6.9 per cent decrease from the previous year. Notably, military pensions worth PKR 563 billion ($1.99 billion) remain outside the formal defence allocation.

 

Pakistan’s public debt reached PKR 76,000 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal year, with projected GDP growth of just 2.7 per cent, far behind the regional average of 5.8 per cent reported by the Asian Development Bank for 2024.

 

As General Munir prepares for his visit to Washington, the diplomatic and economic stakes remain high—not just for US-Pakistan relations, but for broader regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation.