Pak Army chief's lunch with Trump at White House: What was discussed?

Crypto talks, trade and a rare military handshake-Trump's unexpected White House lunch with Pakistan's army chief signals more than diplomacy

Pakistan's Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday became the country's first serving chief of army staff to be hosted by a US president in the White House. The luncheon-level engagement was described by Pakistan Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as “cordial” and "unprecedented" for a military officer who holds no political portfolio.

 

The unexpected meeting comes months after India and Pakistan engaged in a brief military standoff following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people. President Donald Trump took credit for mediating a ceasefire between the two sides, which India categorically denied.   

 

 

  Here's what the Pakistan Army's media wing said about the discussions that took place during the meeting.

 

'Counterterrorism' at the top of agenda

 

According to the ISPR read-out, Trump and Munir leaders “reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration in the field of counterterrorism”. Munir conveyed Islamabad’s gratitude for what he called Trump’s “constructive and result-oriented role in helping broker a ceasefire" between India and Pakistan.

 

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump said he had invited Munir to “thank him for not going into the war [with India]". He added, “These two very smart people decided not to keep going with a war that could have been a nuclear war. Pakistan and India are two big nuclear powers.”

 

The US President also noted that Munir “was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side”, and reiterated that Washington is working on a trade deal involving both South Asian neighbours.

 

When asked whether the discussion touched on the current Iran-Israel conflict, Trump said, “They [Pakistan] know Iran very well, better than most, and they are not happy about anything... He [Munir] agreed with me.”     

 

Crypto collaboration

 

Cryptocurrency was also among the subjects reportedly discussed at the meeting. “Discussions also encompassed avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies,” the ISPR stated.

 

Notably, the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) signed a letter of intent with World Liberty Financial (WLF), a decentralised-finance venture in which Trump and his affiliates hold a 60 per cent stake, the Dawn reported in April. A Finance Ministry statement said the partnership aims to “accelerate blockchain innovation, stable-coin adoption and decentralised-finance integration across Pakistan”.  

 

Economic and technology ties

 

Beyond security, the leaders explored a wide economic docket that ranged from minerals and energy to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. “President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests,” the ISPR said.  

 

Munir extended a formal invitation for Trump to visit Pakistan at “a mutually convenient date”, a gesture the military described as reflecting “the warmth of bilateral ties.”

 

The White House meeting ended with Trump telling reporters, “I was honoured to meet him [Field Marshal Munir] today.”

 

While no dates were announced for follow-up visits, officials on both sides called the meeting a launching pad for deeper security and trade ties. The talks signalled a move toward “strategic convergence for the next decade", the Dawn reported.