US President Donald Trump to meet Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday for bilateral talks on security and cooperation

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday, a Trump administration official told Reuters. The meeting comes just weeks after Washington and Islamabad announced a trade deal, underscoring a recent warming of ties between the two countries.

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have entered a new phase under Trump, who has sought to rebalance Washington’s South Asia policy. For years, US strategy emphasized closer cooperation with India as a counterweight to China, but strains with New Delhi over tariffs, visas, and Trump’s contentious claims of mediating an India-Pakistan ceasefire have complicated that approach.

The July 31 trade agreement, which included a 19 per cent tariff rate set by Washington, marked a turning point for the US-Pakistan economic engagement. By contrast, a trade deal with India remains elusive. According to the analysts, the shifting dynamics are prompting New Delhi to recalibrate its ties with Beijing.

Trump has already signalled the importance he places on relations with Pakistan. Sharif also joined a Tuesday meeting between Trump and leaders of Muslim-majority countries, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where the US president discussed proposals aimed at addressing Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Earlier this year, Trump hosted Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House, a rare meeting for a US president with a Pakistani military leader unaccompanied by senior civilian officials.

Islamabad, meanwhile, has openly supported Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to ease India-Pakistan tensions. At the same time, Pakistan has sharply criticised the United States over its backing of Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

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With inputs from Reuters

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