US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Pakistan on September 18 during his upcoming tour of South Asia, sources said.
According to diplomatic sources, Trump is planning visits to both Pakistan and India as part of his regional engagements. India is scheduled to host the Quad leaders’ summit in September, during which Trump is likely to visit New Delhi.
Sources added that Trump may make a brief stop in Pakistan either en route to India or on his return. However, official confirmation of the visit is yet to be made by either side.
US President Donald Trump had said that Pakistan “knows Iran better than we do,” as he confirmed discussing Iran-Israel tensions during his meeting with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, at the White House.
Speaking to reporters following the high-level interaction, Trump emphasised Pakistan’s strategic importance in the region, particularly with regard to Tehran. “We spoke about the Iran-Israel issue. Pakistan understands Iran better than us — they’re a key player in regional peace,” he stated.
The rare one-on-one meeting, held in the Cabinet Room, was followed by a luncheon hosted by Trump in the army chief’s honour. A White House spokesperson confirmed that the luncheon was arranged to appreciate Pakistan’s role in regional stability and to acknowledge General Munir’s efforts in de-escalating tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan and India.
“It’s an honour to meet Field Marshal Asim Munir. I thanked him for not letting things spiral into war,” Trump said, referring to recent cross-border tensions that were defused diplomatically.
The two also discussed potential areas of economic cooperation, with Trump confirming that a trade agreement with Pakistan and India is currently under negotiation.
“We’re in early talks on trade — Pakistan’s concerns are being heard,” he said.
According to diplomatic sources, General Munir is also scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pat Hegseth in the coming days. These engagements are being viewed in Islamabad as a significant diplomatic success, especially as they signal a revival in US-Pakistan strategic dialogue after a period of relative quiet.
Asked about possible diplomatic outcomes of the meeting, Trump said, “General Asim has played a strong role in lowering Pak-India tensions. We appreciate his leadership.”
