Donald Trump Pakistan Visit: After Historic White House Meet with Asim Munir, Trump May Land in Islamabad

In a political twist of events that has sent the world into a frenzy, the former U.S. president, Donald Trump, is due to visit Pakistan this September. This news is accompanied by an announcement of the unprecedented visit of the chief of the Pakistan Army, Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, to the historic White House on June 18, where he lunched with Trump in what has been termed a highly symbolic meeting.

Through this visit, it became the first such occasion that a Pakistani military leader was invited to the White House by a civilian government in Islamabad. According to sources, the gathering focused much on how to ease tensions in the region, mostly between Iran and Israel. It is said that Munir pressed Trump to act as a mediator.

Trump’s Possible Pakistan Trip: What We Know So Far

Only four days later, on June 22, the U.S. forces started airstrikes on Iranian nuclear stations. The scheduling of the strikes resulted in criticism in the Pakistani political arena, as those opposed to the actions criticised the leadership for catering too much to American interests.

The rising influence of the military in the realm of diplomacy is viewed as the bane of the democratically elected government by many in Pakistan. The airstrikes and the fact that Trump had been communicating quite publicly with Munir have once again thrown the subject of Pakistan's foreign policy direction into the spotlight.

India Trip on the Cards After Pakistan?

Interestingly, The Times of India includes in the same report that Trump might also visit India sometime later in the year after he visits Pakistan. Such an orderly travel schedule suggests a more general foreign policy on the part of Trump, which may be directed at re-establishing relationships in the region and redistributing the alignment of forces.

According to the political analysts, with this dual country visit confirmed, ex-U.S. President Trump, once again an active political player, will be quite a dramatic change in how he will interfere with South Asia, particularly in light of some heated geopolitical tensions looming over the region.