Pakistan's leadership appears to be positioning itself at the center of a shifting set of relationships, with a possible encounter between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Donald Trump taking shape on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. The report, drawn from unnamed sources and carried by Geo News and The Economic Times, places the meeting around September 25 and suggests that Army chief Asim Munir may join, a sign of how closely civilian and military power now move together in Pakistani diplomacy. Its quiet backing from Qatar and Saudi Arabia hints at a regional we
Sharif Likely to Meet Trump Next Week on UN Sidelines, Report Says
A meeting no one has announced is already shaping how Pakistan's diplomacy is read
Mark
Why does a possible sideline meeting at the UN merit attention?
Mimi
Because of the run of contacts before it: Dar and Rubio on the phone Sunday, a July trade agreement, a $500 million minerals deal this month, and Munir's visits, including a one-on-one with Trump in June.
Mark
And Qatar and Saudi Arabia are reportedly backing it?
Mimi
That's what the sources say. Riyadh and Doha are described as supportive, with the talks reportedly held with their consultation and endorsement.
Luke
Keep in mind that all of this comes from Geo News citing unnamed sources. The Economic Times is relaying it, not confirming it.
Mark
Has anyone official responded?
Mimi
Pakistan's embassy in Washington declined to comment and didn't deny it.
Luke
Which is not confirmation. Silence can mean many things, and the date of September 25 is still only reported.
Mark
What would be discussed?
Mimi
Floods in Pakistan, the Israeli attack on Qatar, and the Pakistan-India situation, according to the sources.
Luke
Trump's claim that he brokered the May ceasefire is his own assertion in this report, and nothing here says how India or Pakistan view it. Also unknown: whether any outcome is planned.
Mimi
So the thing to watch is official confirmation, and then whether trade, security or mediation commitments follow.
Il Polso
- An unconfirmed meeting between Pakistan's prime minister and the US president is already reshaping how Islamabad's diplomacy is being read.
- Floods, the fallout from Israel's attack on Qatar, and Pakistan-India tensions crowd a single agenda, raising the stakes of every word spoken.
- Army chief Asim Munir may sit beside Sharif, signalling that the talks would carry military as well as political weight.
- Saudi and Qatari backing is said to shape the encounter, while Pakistan's Washington embassy neither confirms nor denies it, leaving the outcome open.
Pakistan's leadership appears to be positioning itself at the center of a shifting set of relationships, with a possible encounter between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Donald Trump taking shape on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. The report, drawn from unnamed sources and carried by Geo News and The Economic Times, places the meeting around September 25 and suggests that Army chief Asim Munir may join, a sign of how closely civilian and military power now move together in Pakistani diplomacy. Its quiet backing from Qatar and Saudi Arabia hints at a regional web of support, while the agenda, spanning floods, the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Qatar, and tensions with India, reflects how many crises press on one small set of decisions. Nothing has been confirmed, and that uncertainty is itself part of the story.
A meeting that no one has yet announced on the record is already changing how Pakistan's diplomacy is being read. Geo News reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to sit down with President Donald Trump next week during the UN General Assembly in New York. The date given is September 25, and Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir may attend. Sources say Qatar and Saudi Arabia support the talks.
The reported agenda is wide: floods in Pakistan, the consequences of the Israeli attack on Qatar, and the state of relations with India. Pakistan's embassy in Washington has neither confirmed nor denied the meeting.
The possible encounter follows a steady warming in ties since the May conflict with India, which Trump has repeatedly claimed to have helped end with a ceasefire. Ishaq Dar and Marco Rubio spoke by phone on Sunday, and the two countries have already signed a trade agreement meant to lower tariffs and draw investment, including $500 million in US funding for Pakistan's critical minerals sector. Munir has also been a frequent visitor to Washington. For now, the meeting rests on sourcing alone, and what matters next is official confirmation and whether any commitments on trade, security or mediation follow.
A meeting that has not been announced by anyone on the record is already shaping how Pakistan's diplomacy is being read. On Tuesday, Geo News reported, citing unnamed sources, that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to sit down with President Donald Trump next week while he is in the United States for the UN General Assembly session. The Economic Times carried the report the same day.
According to those sources, the meeting is expected on September 25, on the sidelines of the Assembly. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is also expected to attend. The report says the talks are being held with the consultation, support and endorsement of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and that diplomatic sources describe both Riyadh and Doha as supportive of the encounter.
The reported agenda is broad. It runs from the floods in Pakistan to the repercussions of the Israeli attack on Qatar, and the sources said the situation between Pakistan and India is also likely to come up. Pakistan's embassy in Washington has neither commented on the possible meeting nor denied it.
The report arrives as relations between Islamabad and Washington have been warming, particularly since the armed conflict between Pakistan and India in May. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he brokered a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The recent contacts have been steady. On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the two reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen bilateral ties across a range of areas. Dar had met Rubio in July, when they discussed trade, economy, investment, counter-terrorism and regional peace.
Soon after that July meeting, the two countries announced a trade agreement meant to boost bilateral trade, improve market access and attract investment. Under it, tariffs are to be reduced, particularly on Pakistani exports to the US, and economic cooperation is to start afresh, including the development of oil reserves. Earlier this month, Pakistan also secured about $500 million in US investment in its critical minerals sector under a newly signed agreement with United States Strategic Metals.
Munir has been a recurring presence in Washington. He held a rare one-on-one meeting with Trump in June. In August he returned for the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command chief General Michael E Kurilla and the change of command that put Admiral Brad Cooper in charge, and during that trip he met Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
For now, the meeting rests on sourcing rather than confirmation. What to watch is whether Islamabad or Washington confirms it officially, and whether any talks produce commitments on trade, security or regional mediation.
Citazioni salienti
Riyadh and Doha are supportive of the Sharif-Trump meeting, according to diplomatic sources.— Geo News, citing diplomatic sources
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Politics & Governance