US President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday in the Oval Office at the White House, an engagement widely viewed as a formal reset in relations between Washington and Islamabad.
The talks, held behind closed doors, were Sharif’s first since taking office, while the presence of Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir — on his third visit this year — emphasized the central role of the military in Pakistan’s diplomacy.
US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office media wing, Sharif praised President Trump during the meeting, describing him as a “man of peace” committed to genuine efforts to resolve conflicts worldwide.
He lauded President Trump’s bold and decisive leadership, crediting it with facilitating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India that helped prevent a major catastrophe in South Asia.
Discussing the situation in the Middle East, the prime minister praised President Trump’s efforts to bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza, particularly commending his initiative earlier this week in New York to invite key leaders of the Muslim world to help restore peace in the region.
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The prime minister also invited President Trump to make an official visit to Pakistan at his convenience.
According to media reports, before the meeting, during a White House press conference, President Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the head of the Pakistani armed forces.
He said, “Pakistan’s great leaders, Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, are coming to the White House. Both are extraordinary individuals. I am running a little late, but they have already arrived at the beautiful Oval Office, and I will meet them shortly.”
Sharif extended invitations for American investment in mining, IT and energy, stressing Pakistan’s potential as a hub for technology and resource development. With Pakistan facing mounting external debt and chronic economic instability, officials see US partnerships as vital for recovery.
While Pakistan’s military has long played a decisive role in shaping foreign and security policy, the joint presence of the country’s civilian and military leadership was interpreted as a calculated gesture to reassure Washington of a unified strategic direction.
Earlier, when Prime Minister Sharif arrived at Andrews Air Force Base for the meeting, he was given a grand red carpet welcome. Senior US Air Force officials received him, after which his convoy proceeded under tight security to the White House.
While the White House released no formal readout, analysts believe the closed-door talks likely addressed broader regional concerns, including stability in South Asia, evolving dynamics with China, and the Gulf’s shifting security architecture.
The meeting carried both symbolic and strategic significance. For much of the past decade, US-Pakistan relations have been fraught, marked by mistrust over counterterrorism cooperation, Pakistan’s ties with the Taliban, and Islamabad’s growing alignment with China.
Diplomatic sources said discussions ranged across security, counterterrorism, trade and regional stability, with particular focus on Afghanistan’s uncertain trajectory and the threat posed by ISIS-Khorasan.
Washington, frustrated with limited leverage over the Taliban, views Pakistan as a critical partner in shaping regional outcomes. For Islamabad, closer security coordination with Washington could help ease cross-border pressures while bolstering its international standing.